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Friday, May 22, 2020

Hello from the Twilight Zone

Gosh, it has been over two months since my last blog post...feels like confession time. I don't know about you all but it has been difficult to focus during these "stay at home" times. Not that I have been good about staying in place, but the whole tone of the time is so disconcerting. I won't go into all that except to say, painting has not been getting done, thus nothing really to write about or post. It isn't that I haven't painted at all, just not motivated overall. I went out to Washington Park last week and yesterday just to get outside with those willing to be out and in public painting. Nothing done that I want to post except that yesterday we had so many comments from those stopping to say how nice it was to see artists back in the park and activities to make it seem more 'normal.' A young man took a bunch of photos of us at work. He said he would text them to me but I have not received them yet. I am sure it will be awhile as he will need to process them; ie he was using a real camera not a phone.
Farm Buildings, 12x24, oil on panel

I will share this one with you. I took the reference photo at Hidden Mesa Open Space outside of Castle Rock, CO. I am calling it Farm Buildings unless someone can help me out with a better title. Y'all are way more creative in naming my paintings than I am.

It was just over three years ago that we (Plein Air Artists of Colorado) were invited to a local Parker artists studio for the morning and then on to paint plein air as a group. I did not choose to paint this scene at the time but I came across the image recently while browsing for inspiration.

As usual, the block in for it really excited me and then,  slowly, but surely, little by little,  voila! I do believe it is done. Don't you like the white house smack dab in the middle of the composition? I think it works due to the red outbuildings off setting it. What do you think?
Farm Buildings blocked in

Mary Dunn and Linda Petrie Bunch, Washington Park
Here are my compatriots out last week. We all painted the same scene looking west across the south lake. It was a gorgeous day both days I went out.