Thoughts about a Lagoon

                                                       " Chilling Out", 14x11" oil.

This subject has been wanting me to paint it..if I had not stopped to look at this beautiful lagoon I would have missed this heron waiting patiently for his lunch. 

I love the cool shadows and ripples in these lagoons. The colors are rich and varied in the reflections and shadows. I feel calm and the coolness to be found in those shady spots. 

Painting this memory brought back those feelings and mood. Always refreshing to look at on a warm morning.

To Plein Air or Not…

 I have been painting outdoors aka Plein air for many years. I was first introduced to painting outside of my studio when I moved to Denver and studied at the Denver Students Art League. I knew about painting from life and that was part of my art degree studies. 

I fell in love with being outdoors and learned quickly that it is no romantic exercise. Weather is just one complication.

Now there are Plein air conventions, hundreds of competitons , a variety of Plein air equipment, and many Plein air organizations. 

I rarely participate in Plein air competitions any more. I still paint outdoors but also rely on my outdoor studies for larger studio pieces. 

I do still advocate painting outside. We learn to really see when we paint outside as well as paint from life.Photos do not give us enough information to truly paint the essence of a scene. We gain so much from being out in the field…we feel the scene and often make discoveries that improve our work.

Finding a group to paint with also is rewarding. I have  friends who I have been painting with for over 25 years. We organize painting trips which of course include good food and conversation.

Soooo…get out and paint and do not think you have to be a part of a Plein air competition to justify being a Plein air paintier. Painting is a practice…and the more you paint from life the better your work will become.

A foot in Colorado and a foot in Georgia

 

“Back of the Bay”, 6x8” oil

“Serenity”, 11x14” oil

I am settling in to my ever changing lifestyle. We are dividing our time between Colorado and Georgia/ South Carolina. 

The winters are no longer kind to my health, so we decided to take a break during the long winters and spend time where the weather was not so bitter cold. We discovered a quiet and beautiful area close to our family in Augusta, GA as well as a day drive to our family in NC.

It is a coastal island on the South Carolina Coast…Edisto. I am here as I blog and have found a wonderful art community as well as being represented by a small local gallery here. I now keep painting gear in Augusta so that I can paint when I am on Edisto.

We also rented a small apartment in Evans, which is just outside Augusta where our son and two granddaughters live. I have managed to set up a painting area in the apartment and am using my water miscible oils there. 

I never dreamed that I would be juggling life in this way, but this is life isn’t it? We learn to accept changes that we cannot control and adjust. Some things we have to let go…in my case, some show deadlines will not fit with my fluctuating schedule. Teaching is also a logistical issue. 

The positives are that I can be with my grands, enjoy wonderful seafood, and explore the Low country and the beach. I can also maintain my friendships in Colorado and enjoy the beautiful seasons there.

I also am learning to paint different subjects and I have a coastal gallery to show my work.

Change can be hard, but it also can enrich our lives, so if you are in a time of change..try to embrace it.

Painting Choices

 

Pop Up, 16x20”, oil.

I have a lot of references including a zillion photos of possible painting subjects. A few weeks ago I was in a quandary of what to paint after being away from my Colorado studio. It was too cold and windy to paint outdoors, so I spent some time thinking while I was going through studies as well as reference photos.

I came across photos as well as a painting I did of the poppies that were growing in my tiny garden last summer. This was the first year that they survived the chipmunk and ground squirrel invasion. I had tried everything in past years to deter them… and only our relocation program seemed to work.

I was so excited to see these survivors show up and when I looked at my references I began to smile. I decided to do another painting of them. 

This is one of those paintings that brought smiles to my face and heart as I painted it. It is always a joy when a painting almost paints itself. I believe that our souls can connect with each other when a painting demonstrates a feeling. The color choices, the quality of brushstrokes and the subject matter all come together to create emotions. 

If I can create a painting that does that then I am happy.

Where is Amy?

 

          "Day's End", 14x18" oil, $1275. Available               "Out of the Clouds", 9x12", oil $850. 

                             Home Studio                                                Breckenridge Gallery

I am currently in Breckenridge, CO and painting in my studio while we have crazy weather. Snow and bitter cold today while we had springlike weather earlier this week.

In a week or so I will be back at my studio in Evans GA and Edisto Island, SC. A few weeks ago we also had crazy weather as the azaleas and dogwoods began to bloom there. My husband and I left as did a lot of people while the Masters Golf takes over the town. 

Many artists divide their time between locations and studios by choice as well as by circumstance.

I love both locations. I will be showing some of my coastal paintings at the Edisto Art Gallery, Edisto, SC beginning in mid April. My western and other landscapes will continue to be shown at Breckenridge Gallery, CO and the two Old Crows Gallery in Pagosa Springs, CO.

Painting these diverse landscapes is fun as well as a challenge. The air is different, the colors are different, not to mention the vegetation. I have to change my choice of colors in my palette to reflect this. 

Sooooo....where am I? In the best of two worlds..and I see them with fresh eyes as I go from place to place.

Change is good for these very reasons.