Claytor Nature Study Center Plein Air

6 x 8 Oil on Gessobord

Our art group, Artists on the Loose, spent a day at Claytor Nature Study Center last week.  What a beautiful place that is.  There is so much to see and paint, but we were attacked by stink bugs, so our day was a little shorter than it could have been :-)  This was a very fast painting done in between swatting and running.  I thought about doing more to it at home, but am going to leave it as is. Not too bad for painting on the run....

Layer Upon Layer

14 x 11 Oil on Canvas Board

I really love this view at the Museum in NYC.  What really attracted me to this scene were the silhouettes on the third level.  I'm not crazy about canvas board because it seems to absorb all the oil and I had to do layer upon layer...as in the name of this painting :-)  I'm extremely happy with the way this turned out considering the architectural angles and the fight with the canvas...I think I might do it again on a different surface just to see the difference in the way it turns out. 

Pumpkin Heaven

9 x 12 Oil on Artist Canvas

Better to paint a lot of pumpkins than just one.  My theory, at least!  I was tempted to put a face on a few, but decided against it.  I really love this time of year, but miss the cold, crisp days up North.  We'll get them, but they just don't last long enough. 

Shari, Blowin' in the Wind

7 x 5 Oil on Gessobord

This was a quick little painting, but sometimes those turn out the best..  There are a few things I could go back in to "fix" but will not because I love the looseness of this, and if I go back into it, it will become a "portrait" and will lose its spontaneity. 

Clowning Around

5 x 8 Oil on Artist Canvas Sheet

11 x 14 Matted

The boots were obviously meant to keep Rocky's feet dry, but no one thought to provide him with a swim cap :-)  This is my cousin's grandson who is too cute not to paint.  He is the same child that I painted on the slide.  It's getting to the point where I can't wait until he visits my cousin because I then get more opportunities to paint him.  If and when he returns to Australia, his real home, I will really miss these fun paintings.

Rat Messenger, New York City

7 x 5 Oil on Gessobord

Crazy, huh?!  We passed this rat sitting across from Trump Tower in New York City, displaying his message to all who walked by.  Apparently, they pop up with different messages at different times.  When I lived in the City, I saw a few rats but they were scurrying across the avenue and heading for the subways.  They usually didn't wear aprons with messages on them :-)  Some were pretty big, but this guy must have been a couch potato....

Playground Tete-a-Tete

7 x 5 Oil on Gessobord

This started out to be my cousin's son and grandson, but morphed into unknown people.  I've grown to like them, though.  After you work and re-work so many times, your subjects become friends :-)  I almost gave up on this and thought about wiping it off, but changed my mind.  I'm glad I stuck with it.  It serves as a study for another piece, perhaps morphing back into my cousin's son and grandson....

Sailing on Smith Mountain Lake

6 x 8 Oil on Gessobord

I never get tired of painting this scene, and I've done it year after year.  Another of our glorious windy days which are perfect for sailing.  We have wind here in the Spring and Fall, but usually in the summer it's difficult to move.  You just bob around.  This happened to be a rare windy day and there were a lot of people out there taking advantage of it.

One Too Many Cupcakes

5 x 7 Oil on Gessobord

Who could resist this?  A man asleep on a bench outside of a cupcake shop.  Well, this was just too good :-)  What fun this was to paint.