Use it or Lose It

Back to Stan's class last night. We met in the Galena town square and painted outside. It was hot and very humid. Not my favorite weather. I couldn't find too much in the scenery that inspired me, so I went for this view closer up. Not my best work but as they say, Use it or Lose it. Practice practice practice...

Class Week 4 - Blue Limestone Park

Last week for the Delaware Parks Plein Air class. We were at the Blue Limestone Park where the stones for the Arts Castle building were mined. A lovely park hidden away within Delaware. If you don't know its there, you'd never find it.

My pastel is the first picture below, followed by the photo of the inspiration.

Class Week 3 - Hogback Ridge Preserve

Newest pastel worked on black paper, done at the Hogback Ridge Preserve. This park is very densely wooded, so kinda dark in the evening. Everyone felt it was hard to work here because of the light. There was not much to paint other than trees, I was able to paint the cone flowers, oak leaf hydrangea and bee balm near the nature center.

The teacher decided that our last class next week will be at Blue Limestone Park in Delaware. Less green, and instead - rocks and water - and perhaps brighter.

I know why..... New Class Week 2

I think I know why I am not happy with my landscapes. TOO MUCH GREEN. Because of all the rain we have received in Ohio this spring and summer. Everything is way too GREEN. It is boring in art to have one color.

But I truly am enjoying the experience of making art outdoors and find it very peaceful.

Here is last night's effort.... now if I would have just moved the two trees to the right..... I do like the misty quality of the left hand side, where it recedes (as it should). I like the darks at the bottom of the forest. And my sky pretty much looks like it did after that huge thunderstorm went through.

New Class, New Medium

I am taking a new class this month, as a break from watercolors. The Delaware Arts Castle offered a class of "Plein Air in the Parks" with Angela Gage. We are meeting at a couple brand new parks in Delaware County. Last night, we were at Gallant Woods Nature Preserve. I decided to try my hand at pastels again. Its been nearly 35 years (WHAT?? has it been that long??) since I used pastels in high school. Angela has experience with pastels and she was very helpful getting me started again. Some of the other students used oils, pastels, and watercolors.

Here is what I accomplished and the photo I took of the scene. The paper is orange and you can see, it is not finished. I need to try to be less detailed and get larger swathes of color down.