Plein Air Hudson 2018

Mid-August brought me to Hudson, Wisconsin for the 3-day Plein Air Hudson outdoor painting event. It was a weekend of cloudy skies and hazy sunshine.

Friday, August 17.

My first painting was in an alley off of Walnut Street. I was drawn to the shapes and lines of the buildings in the alley and the subtleties of color found there - the grays of the street and the weathered shed, surrounded by summer greenery with the darker trees in the background.

Alleyway Gray, 9 x 12" plein air oil on linen/birch.

Later, I met up with a couple of artist friends who were painting the falls in Willow River State Park. I stayed long after they had finished up, working on my own interpretation of this place of rock and water. It is a popular spot in summer, though I didn't incorporate any figures into my piece.

On the Rocks, Willow Falls; 9 x 12" plein air oil on linen/birch

Saturday, August 18.
 Painting number 3: I wrestled with roof angles, loving the grasses and vines surrounding these outbuildings on a farm in Houlton. (Thank you to the folks who live here and were so gracious to the invading artists who painted on and around the farm that day!) This piece received an honorable mention from judge Joshua Cunningham at the opening.

Farm King, 11 x 14" plein air oil on linen/birch.

 I began this painting as dusk fell and the sun disappeared in the haze across the river. Lights began to glow in the dim; my eyes were drawn down the street past the facades of the buildings to the trees of the park. The light failed before I was satisfied, and I returned the next night to finish up a few things - like making the parked cars look a little more like cars and less like a large caterpillar sitting by the curb! I enjoyed this one.

Weekend on Walnut St., 8 x 10" plein air oil on linen/birch. sold

Sunday, August 19.

 A little study of the trees along a quiet spot near where the Willow and St. Croix rivers meet.

8 x 10" plein air oil on linen/birch.

Later in the afternoon the sky clouded over again. I painted near a friend, and it was nice to have another set of eyes every once in awhile to give feedback and help work out problems in the painting. The clouds held my attention as they drifted above the dark trees along the river.

Cloudy Sunday, 14 x 11" plein air oil on linen/birch sold

Monday evening held the opening at the Seasons on St. Croix Gallery - they do a great job, and it's a grand time filled with appreciation of art and nature and architecture, and some wonderful and meaningful conversations and connections.

And then, how good to be home again.

A few days later I did my final paintings for the month of August, out by the orchard, along a field taken over by goldenrod and milkweed.

Milkweed, 7 x 5" plein air oil on linen/birch. sold

Hillside Goldenrod, 5 x 7" plein air oil on linen/birch. sold

-April-

 April: snowstorms and thaws.

April 4: The snow was deep, but the sun was warm. I headed up toward Menomonie, Wisconsin, to take part in the Arbor Place Plein Air event. My first painting was done on the grounds of the Caddie Woodlawn Historical Park, which I enjoyed exploring before setting up to paint this old smokehouse.

The Smokehouse, 12 x 9" plein air oil on linen/birch. April 4, 2018

 Late afternoon I returned to this spot by the Red Cedar River to paint the snow and water under the bridge. I just loved the colors.

Snow on the Red Cedar, 9 x 12" plein air oil on linen/birch. April 4, 2018

 April 6th: the sun shone, but the wind was cold! My little sister joined me and we painted from the car, first in downtown Menomonie...

5 x 7" plein air oil on linen/birch. April 6, 2018

 ...and then a quick paint farther out in the countryside.

8 x 16" plein air oil on linen/hardboard. April 6, 2018

 April 11th. I went out for a walk in the afternoon. It was a cloudy day and most of the snow had melted. I cut a few twigs off of a pussy willow and brought them indoors to paint. The soft greys of the catkins, with touches of green and pink, and the bright green of the newly cut stem.

Pussy Willows, alla prima still life, 12 x 10" oil on linen/birch. April 11, 2018

 April 12: I went out to work in the orchard in the afternoon. There is some major cutting of winter damaged trees happening, as well as some regular pruning, and I've been helping to haul branches and brush out from between the rows of trees and piling up some that's been cut for firewood. On this day I brought my easel out with me and tried to paint my impression of the place under an overcast sky. It was still cold and I took breaks in painting to haul more brush and warm myself up!

8 x 16" plein air oil on linen/birch. April 12, 2018

April 17: Another snowstorm had come through, covering the land again and blowing the fallen snow into drifts. I went out one morning and painted along a fenceline on a hillside where the drifts were deep, studying all the variations in color on the snow and in the sky above.

9 x 12" plein air oil on linen/birch. April 17, 2018

 April 19: The snow was melting again, especially on the top of the hill and where the tractor had plowed through along the field road. Patches of dirt and dry stubble broke up the smooth snow. I painted quickly, trying to capture a little bit of the late light.

7 x 5" plein air oil on linen/birch. April 19, 2018

 And after the sun went down, I painted another quick study: the blue of the snow, afterglow in the sky, and the distant lights of the neighbors across the valley.

5 x 7" plein air oil on linen/birch. April 19, 2018

April 20: My last study of snow: melting drifts along the road. A little scraggly tree with a bird's nest still in its branches. Long, dry grasses, and soft evening light.

9 x 12" plein air oil on linen/birch. April 20, 2018

April 29th: This painting was started on location, at the end of a day working in the orchard, but finished later on. It's a bit of a combination of what I observed that night.

9 x 12" alla prima oil on linen/birch. April 29, 2018 sold

Hay and Hudson

Three days in a row I went out to paint on a bale-strewn hillside with an excellent view of the western sky. Three days in a row the weather moved in from the northeast.

The Weather Moving In - 6 x 8" plein air oil on linen/hardboard. August 4, 2017

The weather the first day was the most dramatic and severe. I caught the last of the sunshine and the beginning dark clouds in this little quick study.

I finished up in between trips running up the hill to watch the sky and be amazed at the line of storm clouds and rain moving closer, lit dramatically by the light from the setting sun.

The next day I began a larger plein air painting - at 12 by 16 inches, it was a bit larger than I usually work outdoors. I got kind of a late start, though, and with the clouds which moved in once again it got dark sooner. I "finished" the painting, but I just wasn't satisfied.

 I went out again the next day, similar time, same spot, and worked out a few of the things that were concerning me. This is the final result:

Spoiled Hay - 12 x 16" plein air oil on linen/hardboard. August 5, 6, 2017

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When we were kids, my older sister and I sometimes had the job of pulling wild carrot (Queen Anne's Lace) out of the pastures. It has a tendency to take over, so the goal was to keep it in check. However, when roadwork was done nearby, and the mulch used to cover the bare banks and ditches was apparently full of wild carrot, the battle was officially lost. At least it's beautiful!

Wild Carrot Patch - 12 x 9" plein air oil on linen/hardboard. August 10, 2017

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August 18-20 was the annual Plein Air Hudson in Hudson, Wisconsin along the St. Croix River. This year I wanted to check out the nearby state park: Willow River State Park. I'm so happy I did! The river it's named for is lovely, and the falls are understandably popular.

Friday the 18th was an overcast and cool day - perfect for hiking, and for taking my time on this painting of a couple of the trees that grow along the falls. Moss and stone and moving water. I definitely want to go back there.

Along the Willow River - 12 x 9" plein air oil on linen/hardboard. August 18, 2017

I spent some time in the afternoon exploring without my heavy pack of gear. Up a steep bunch of steps there's a nice lookout right up above the falls, and I wanted to return later and try a painting from there. 

Willow River Overlook - 11 x 14" plein air oil on linen/hardboard. August 18, 2017

I didn't give myself much time - I used every bit of daylight, which made for a dark hike back - but the sun peeking out from the clouds and hitting the water and the colors and textures of the many trees and hazy hills was something I really wanted to capture a little of in my painting.

Saturday, August 19th. I spent the morning walking around the town of Hudson, and checking out the work of some of the other artists who were painting down by the river. I had lunch with a new painting pal, and then it was time to get to work!

I saw this old brick building last year while walking around town and I wanted to paint it. It has a lot of character, and I really like its old door with its wooden slats. The view I first wanted would have involved standing in the street, which obviously wasn't going to work. So I got as close as I could, standing on the curb in the slim shadow of a power line pole. Light and shadow, green weeds and orange brick, and a view down the alley.

Brickwork - 12 x 9" plein air oil on linen/hardboard. August 19, 2017

End-of-Day Reflections - 9 x 12" oil on linen/hardboard. August 19, 2017

In the evening I went back down by the water. The reflections on the still water were just magnificent, and I had to try to paint them.

Sunday, August 20, back at the state park. It was a much warmer day than my first visit. Those steps up the trail seemed even steeper and longer!

I don't often paint pine trees - I'm more of a deciduous tree person. But there's something so lovely about a pine grove, the ground covered in old needles, and the spicy-piney fragrance when the wind blows through it. I liked how the light caught the bare lower branches of these trees and I wanted to convey that in this painting. This painting came neither quickly nor easily; I have a lot to learn about painting pines.

Pines and Needles - 14 x 11" oil on linen/hardboard. August 20, 2017

The last painting did go quickly - both out of necessity due to the time of day, and because it's more my usual subject matter: farm and sky. The sky was just getting interesting as the sun sank behind the clouds. I set up along this road and a corn field. A new road has gone in close by, and this one ends very abruptly just behind where I was parked.

At the End of the Road - 9 x 12" oil on linen/hardboard. August 20, 2017 

 The evening of Monday, August 21st, held the opening reception. Really fun to see the whole show hung, pick out favorite paintings, and hear the stories behind some of them.
 The event judge this year was Scott Lloyd Anderson, and the top prizes went to Richard Abraham, Dan Mondloch, and Bob Upton, who well deserved them!

My three submissions to the show.

The show was on display August 21-27. Special thanks to all who stopped by, and extra special thanks to those who are giving some of my paintings new homes!

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September

September. A very full month.

My sister, nephews and eldest niece were visiting from the other side of the world, and the time was precious. A lot was packed in, as we have to make the most of the time together, and the days flew by.

I was also preparing for the Driftless Area Art Festival, which took place the 17th and 18th. Two beautiful days, among many rainy ones. (The following weekend the park was under water!) But that weekend was beautiful, and I thank all of you who came out and enjoyed it and made it a great event.

My temporary gallery: my booth at the Driftless Festival.

At the same time, the Between the Bluffs plein air event was taking place in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Since I didn't have a chance to paint the first week, I put in as much easel-time as I could the last few days. The first day, Monday, I painted on the very edge of the designated area, a view of the King's and Queen's Bluffs in Minnesota. They're such recognizable figures, and I always like how the light hits them, as they tower above the highway below.

Driftless Royalty, 9 x 12 inch, plein air oil on linen/hardboard.

It was a day to paint bluffs and clouds. I tried for another quick paint before dark, watching a distant storm in the sky and painting a valley below.

Distant Storm Clouds, 9 x 12 inch, plein air oil on linen/hardboard.

On Tuesday I headed for a county road along the Interstate, to paint a barn I've long admired. That cupola! It's a beauty. The sky was dark to the south and west, which contrasted beautifully with the light on the roof of the barn and the dark outline of a tree in the pasture. The weather moved in, and I got rained on a little before the skies cleared.

Local Color, 9 x 12 inch, oil on linen/hardboard.

Then it was time to paint more clouds and valleys! A friend joined me and we went to the upper Hixon trails in La Crosse. The shadows were long, the light fleeting, the mosquitoes voracious.

Cloud-Watching, Upper Hixon Trails; 9 x 12 inch, plein air oil on linen/hardboard.

Wednesday brought more wet weather, but it cleared for a short time in the afternoon. The creek was swollen and brown with all the rain. I painted the light and shadows quickly, and the sky was already cloudy again as I finished up.

Bridge over Muddy Water, 12 x 9 inch, plein air oil on linen/hardboard.

The next day was the day to frame and turn in three paintings. I took these:

My three in the show!

Saturday morning was the "quick paint" in La Crosse. I almost didn't make it. I left home "early", but not early enough, as unbeknownst to me there was a color run happening downtown, and parking where I thought I was going to park was not an option. I was also not quite sure where I was supposed to be, and I wasn't so sure about braving the clouds of colored dust, so wandered around lugging my gear for awhile until I finally stumbled into the right place. Whew!

Though I had to paint quickly, it was a relaxing place to be: watching the poplar leaves blow in the wind and the river rush by.

My quick-paint, 9 x 12 inch, plein air oil on linen/hardboard.

Saturday night was the public reception. Always fun to see all the new paintings from around the area! I was so pleased to receive an Award of Excellence for my painting "Local Color", and I also won first place for my quick-paint. Two of my paintings are going to new homes, which is the best honor of all. Thank you to everyone who came!

Plein Air Hudson

I spent the weekend in mid-August in beautiful Hudson, Wisconsin, as part of Plein Air Hudson, 2016, through the Seasons on St. Croix Gallery. Such a fun event! There were twenty-one artists that participated, and we painted around town and the surrounding area for three days. It was my first time visiting Hudson, and I enjoyed walking and driving around and getting to know the area. Here are some of the paintings I did:

 The first day, Friday, started out cloudy. I was drawn to a spot just behind the gallery, the view through an alley with a mass of power lines overhead, and a colorful collection of buildings.

Color on a Cloudy Day, 9 x 12 inch, plein air, oil on linen/hardboard.

The sun shone a few times during that first painting - and it was hot! But it always clouded up again, and began to rain off and on later while I did this painting of a collection of old sheds and a great old tree, with a mass of weeds and wildflowers in the foreground. I was cold and wet when I finished, but the sky was just beginning to clear and show some color as the sun set.

River Road Relic, 9 x 12 inch, plein air, oil on linen/hardboard.

Saturday morning was busy in downtown Hudson, and I discovered that parking spaces were a rare find! I did a little more exploring before finding a spot pretty far from the river. I walked down and found a place in the shade to paint. This used to be a toll road across the St. Croix River, but now is part of Lakefront Park, a good place to walk and watch the boats, do some fishing, enjoy the sunshine. I finished just in time to refuel with a burger and fries and some good company, catching up with a group of some of the other artists.

Willow by the Bridge, 9 x 12 inch, plein air, oil on linen/hardboard.

I went exploring in the afternoon, looking for some countryside, and a good place to watch the clouds. I...don't even know where this is. I went up and down so many roads, and I got pretty mixed up. But I liked this spot, wherever it was, with its line of trees between fields and the cloud shadows moving over the landscape.

Partly-Cloudy, 11 x 14 inch, plein air, oil on linen/hardboard.

It took some time, but I did find my way back to Hudson, where I was happy to get to hang out for a bit with another group of artists, and eat some delicious bruschetta at Bricks - so good!

Then we all dashed out to catch the sunset. I didn't go too far, finding a spot on the dike where I could see the moon rising, and painting furiously to catch that beautiful sky before it got dark. I made good progress too, but had to finish some of the details with some help from my phone flashlight. :)

Last Light over Hudson, 12 x 9 inch, plein air, oil on linen/hardboard.

The river was a busy place Sunday, with a lot of people out enjoying the sunshine and water. The sounds of it were all around me as I painted this one, watching the reflections dance, in a cool, shady spot near a swimming beach.

Wading in the River, 9 x 12 inch, plein air, oil on linen/hardboard.

I did some painting in the evening too, and then it was time to do some framing, and get some much-needed sleep. Monday was the day for hanging the show, and we each prepared and brought in three paintings. Then the gallery folks did their magic. 

Meanwhile, I did some more painting, and then explored downtown with some loved-ones, who traveled to see me and attend the opening. We did a little shopping, hunted out a bunch of Little Free Libraries (Hudson is where they began), and ate more bruschetta.

The opening reception was in the evening, and it was lovely. So fun to see where everyone painted, and the beautiful art created, hear some stories, and chat with some people met during the week. I was so happy to also receive an Honorable Mention for my painting "Color on a Cloudy Day"!

My three in the show!

The show will be up till August 28, 2016 - check it out!

 Explore Hudson! Find a Little Free Libary! Eat bruschetta!

April Wilderness

April Wilderness, 9 x 12" oil on linen/hardboard. April 2, 2015

My sister introduced me to this place, a steep and textured landscape on top of a Wisconsin bluff, crisscrossed with trails. I'm sure it's beautiful in summer, but I wanted to paint it now, while it's still in the subdued colors of early spring, before the new greens have overcome the old browns.
 When I began painting, the sun shone, and there were more pronounced shadows that showed off the contours of the land. But the clouds moved in and the scene was much darker and the light flatter by the time I called it quits.
 It was also very windy. Before I began to paint, my panel had already taken flight once, and my easel did a half somersault. I lowered my easel and sat to paint instead, which helped. But the wind made it much harder to stay warm. The weather, it seems, hasn't settled yet on whether it should still be winter or if spring is truly here.

Driftless Art Festival and Between the Bluffs

My booth stuffed full of paintings. :)

I spent September 20th and 21st in beautiful Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin, at the Driftless Area Art Festival. There are so many talented and skilled artists and artisans in this region, and I was delighted to be included in this event for the first time this year. Thanks to the organizers, who do such a wonderful job, and to everyone who stopped by my booth! It was a great and exhausting weekend.

  I was also really excited and honored to receive the People's Choice Award! Thank you, everyone!

Overlook, above La Crescent, Minnesota. 9 x 12" oil on mounted linen.

The following week I was able to get some time to paint as part of the Between the Bluffs plein air event in La Crosse, Wisconsin. All painting was to be done within ten miles of the downtown area, and I did some painting on the Minnesota side of the river.

Another painting done above La Crescent, Minnesota. The sky was filled with low clouds, and as I painted I watched the weather move in. A good day to have an umbrella, even if the mosquitoes did congregate underneath it. It rained, cleared, and rained again, as I painted autumn grasses and wildflowers, and a couple of trees.

September Showers, 9 x 12" oil on mounted linen. This painting received a merit award at the opening of the show on Saturday!

Thursday, September 25th was the quick paint. I walked around downtown for awhile, but ended up down in Riverside Park, along with several other artists. I did this little view below the Cass Street bridge.

It was a beautiful morning to paint, AND I received the quick paint award! :-D

No Wake Zone, 12 x 9" oil on mounted linen.

So it's been a pretty exciting few weeks for me! :) I'm so grateful.