Painting up a storm

I just finished a 4 day workshop with the W.O.Watercolor Society in plein-aire with Andy Evansen and it was truly inspiring.  The whole gang came to our house one day to do value sketches and paintings around our property.  Several were inspired by our chickens, some strolled over to the riverside, etc.  Here are the value study and the painting, side-by-side.

Andy Evansen

  Andy did a beautiful watercolor of our shed (!) and a wheel barrow.  He is sending it to our family in gratitude for the day here - boy are we ever lucky!  Andy just won the Bronze award in the American Watercolor Society and had to shorten our workshop to attend the award ceremony in NYC....well deserved.  He is an amazing artist....here is a photo of him doing a demo of the mill as reflected in our little pond.



a demo



Yellow Springs Arts: Some towns might have ordinary trash cans BUT

Yellow Springs Arts: Some towns might have ordinary trash cans BUT  
This is a wonderful way to creatively repurpose the village cans...thanks Corrine for sharing.  I've always loved the collaborative work of Kathi and Beth.

Winds Show now up thru April

'Kayakers'

Here is "Kayakers"which is currently up at the Winds Cafe.  I made a similar painting that my brother Dan'l has since he is an avid kayaker!  I think I painted this after taking a workshop with Frank Francese who encouraged us to use our paints with abandon, paint freely and with expression.  He advocates using small areas of key colors to excite the eye.    He lays in the shadows with a violet color which is very effective for bright sunny days...
  The kids have already used our kayak to go out on the Little Miami River which we usually don't get to do until May at least!  hmmm - what am I doing on the computer when I should be painting or out kayaking?

Lunar Dance - at the Winds

When next you come to Yellow Springs, be sure to visit the back corner of the main dining room of the Winds where you will find "Lunar Dance".  I paintied it in a loose style with the moon and clouds dancing in the sky and water.  I think this painting has a sprinkling of Chesapeake Bay, Lago di Como, Ceasars Creek and somewhere in California - many waters ...  You never know what will flow from may paintbrush!



Lunar Dance - watercolor
22x27 - $400

 The show is up until Sunday, April 1.  I just received a commission so life is marvelous!

Paintings at the Winds Cafe - landscapes,cats,portraits

 Here's a little painting that is reminiscent of the waters of Asilomar, CA where we played in the sea .  The trip was a graduation present for our daughter.  She wanted mountains and ocean for her gift...somehow much better, I think, than jewels or clothes. 

  I like the quote from Gertrude Stein that I found in the book I'm reading just now... 'The Paris Wife' about Hemingway and his first wife, Hadley.  Stein says that "People should buy pictures instead of clothes."  Gertrude assembled a cadre of writers and artists for her 'salons and acquired a large collection of now-famous paintings.

Who are the Gertrude Steins of our region and time?

If you didn't get to the opening, please come by the Winds Cafe any day but mondays through Sunday, April 1.