When Life Gives You Lemons

 

                                                " The Water Will Rise", 14x11" oil , plein air

As many of you know I am living with one foot in Colorado and the other foot in Georgia and South Carolina. Our plan was to spend a lot of the winter in Edisto, SC since the harsh winter no longer agrees with my health.

Our plan was altered with the cancer that took our daughter in law and left our son with two young daughters to raise. We now spend a lot of time in GA helping with a 9 and an 11 year old. 

I have created a painting area in our small apartment that is very close to our son's house. I found our Margaret's old french easel that I had given to our daughter in law after Margaret passed away and bought an art cart for my paints, etc. We now live in my studio. I joke that it looks like the facebook joke plan of a studio..the studio area is most of the living room.

I am using my Cobra water miscible oils so there are no mineral spirits to deal with.

I am using a lot of my references and doing studio pieces when I can't paint outdoors. I also am painting florals from life.

Painting takes me away from the sadness of losing such a dear person as well as my daughter Margaret.

The changes? I am not able to submit to many shows due to my travel schedules and the timing of shipping work, etc. I also am limiting my teaching schedules due to the same issues.

I am concentrating instead on just painting for the joy of it. That is really why I paint..for the joy of it.

Painting with Purpose

 

                                                Painting at the Old Post Office and Bailey Home.

                        My 11x14" plein air painting of the creek area and the remnants of an old bridge.

This past Friday I was invited to paint with the South Carolina PAPA  ( Preserving A Picturesque America) group along with the Edisto plein air group to paint at a  historic property on Edisto.

The goal of this painting opportunity was to gather information for paintings of this property to support a future show. The proceeds will help the Edisto Island Open Land Trust in the restoration of the two historic structures on the property.

It was a perfect day to paint on this beautiful property and I did complete two paintings as well as gathered reference material for some future studio pieces. 

. My focus is on painting outdoors as much as possible to learn from my subject matter . Painting from life is the best way to really see and to capture the feeling of a place. Some of my paintings end up being worthy to frame and name, while others give me information for studio pieces. I find my work is stronger when I rely on my memory and my references.

I do love to paint at events that support a worthy cause or have a purpose such as capturing in paint a place that may not exist in the future. Paintings often enable us to see the beauty of special places that need to be protected.

It was fun to meet other artists who also share this mission. There were about 15 artists on the site and I look forward to seeing their work in the future show.