PREPPING FOR THE EVERGREEN WORKSHOP

Hey Friends,  Man, I'm happy this video turned out but it's only 44 seconds but would you believe it took 25 minutes to load on this blog?  What's the deal?  Anyone know???

Here is all the canvas panels laid out to dry.  It is a rust/brick color.  You may think that is ODD but wait until you see the finish!

This is Linda.  Don't you love my ariel views?  My little GO-Pro on the little helicopter is a real trick to use.....Kidding.

Four of us met this morning after the thunderstorm and we all did the little painting that we plan to teach in the workshop and HOW different they were.  'Twas a bunch of fun.

I'm positive the participants will have as much fun as we did.!

You can still sign up  HERE..

You have 'til Friday Noon or so.

Happy Trails

LAVENDER FESTIVAL AT EVERGREEN WAS FABULOUS

Hey Friends,  This post will be a bit long.  I'm just trying to show you what you missed!

After scouting around I found this spot I liked.  The view is to the left.

I had to bleach the background out a bit to make the painting show up.  I was sitting in the shade.

I love it when others show their palettes so I did one.

I was set up right next to a huge line for burgers and along came a sweet little shy pup called Carly.  She is a cock a poo just like MeeMee except the color of beautiful rust.  She had the same nature as MeeMee ! Loved her.

OK, almost finished!  This is 8x16 inches.

As I said, I was next to the line of burger lovers and talked with most of them.  This lady in white tank top was trying her best to dodge the camera BUT I got her.  It would be nice to know that she saw this blog post.

Then I went around to the other end of the Craft Hut to start another painting.  Small 6x8 this time.  And this was another high traffic area.  Lots of people going inside to see the lavender workshops, so I was able to talk with lots more about our workshop.

Here is a view of the folks picking lavender for their own use.  I hope there is enough left for our workshop.  This festival reminds me a lot, of a festival I attended, years ago, in France.  It was actually a wine fest but it was on a family farm and the landscape was beautiful but mostly the people are what jogged my memory.  They were all happy, smiling, friendly and seemed grateful, as if life was really good.  I loved it all and was so happy I did not miss it.

Go to Evergreen's website to register for the workshop.  CLICK HERE.

Hope to see your smiling face next Sat.

Happy Trails

NEW WORK DELIVERED TO THE LITTLE GALLERY AT SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE

Hey Friends,  I made the long trip to Smith Mtn. Lake this morning.  I took new paintings to the Little Gallery, in the photo above.

Click HERE for their website.

I have made big attempts to give my work some interesting titles this year.  Instead of the generic terms Lake#1 or Lake #2 etc.  This is titled "I Wish You Knew".

And these titles mean something to me, not sure anyone else will appreciate this creativity.

This one is titled "Chasin Tomorrow".

This is "Sweet Nosiness".  I just loved these cows!  They just looked so sweet and timid and like they really wanted to come closer.  When I spotted them on Hardy Rd. heading home, they were all laying down in the background in the sun.  When I came to the gate, they all got up and started towards me.  But this is as far as they would go.  There was a dark male to the right, all by himself and looking at me very sternly.  I think he told them to stop there.  

This is title "Tis Good to Wander" derived from that old saying "Not all who wander are lost".

Taken from a combo of several photos.

Hope you get to go to the Lake and enjoy some summer time fun and get a cone at the Ice Cream Shoppe after you leave the Little Gallery.

And don't forget the LAVENDER FESTIVAL at Evergreen Lavender Farm in Appomattox tomorrow. Sat. the 18th.  It's worth the drive.

CLICK HERE to read the article in their local paper, the News & Advance.

See you at the festival and hopefully at the lake.

Happy Trails

A WORLD OF THEIR OWN and STILL TESTING VIDEOS

Hey Friends,  The varnish just dried on this new painting.  Painted from the photos I took last summer on my way back to Salem from Hillsville on Rt.221.

A beautiful trip for sure.

This is available HERE.

And I made this video today while I was cutting moulding  for picture frames.

I set my little Cybershot up on a tripod and worked away.

And I can't get it to play.  I posted a couple shorter ones a couple days ago and it worked just fine.

If I ever figure out it out, I'll post again.

I have a Nikon Coolpix L830 and I can't figure out how to make a video on it.  I even googled their manuels and reviews and got Nothing!

If anyone knows what I'm doing wrong, please enlighten me.

Happy Trails 

Travel Well

SAVE THE DATE !! PAINT A LONG

Hey Dear Friends,  We are on a mission to promote and help the Evergreen Lavender Farm in Appomattox, Va. get on their feet after the Tornado ripped through there in April(?).

We DLP artists will be at Evergreen Lav.Farm this coming Saturday, the 18th, during their annual Lavender Festival.  We will be set up and painting and promoting the ............

PAINT A LONG coming up on Sat. the 25th of June from 10 til noon.

We had a full house last year and hope to repeat the FUN.

A couple of my paintings from this beautiful farm from last year.

Go HERE and save your spot in the workshop.  Get your best friend and share the short trip to Appomattox.  You will have ball and go home with your own creation.

More photos later.

Happy Trails

MOTHER NATURE GAVE US ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL DAY FOR PLEIN AIR

Hey Friends,  We had a good time this morning at Garst Mill Park just off Brambleton Ave.  The little creek that runs through this park is melodious (HaHa-look at me trying to use big words).

I made a little short video and hope you can hear the water babbling.

I like this new method I've been using for plein air painting.  The top photo shows my 9x12 canvas with an acrylic sketch on it of the pictured creek.  This dries really fast and you don't have to worry about getting it home, like you do with oil.

So now I just paint over the acrylic with oils at home.  Maybe I won't do this forever, maybe I'll learn to focus better and I won't flit off chasing squirrels and butterflies.

After all I'm out here to have fun, not to be winning awards!

Please tell me what you think of the short video.

You can even say "Don't EVER do that again"

Happy Trails

I WISH YOU KNEW AND PAINTING THIS MORNING

Hey Friends,  Here is another one you may not have seen yet.  It was painted from photos of Southport, NC.  Photos taken on a trip to the coast with my painting buddies.   It is 8" x 16" panel and varnished and available HERE.

And this morning we, the DLP's, made it to Longwood Park on Main St. in Salem, Va. to brush up on our skills.  Nice when you can find a view from a bench AND you didn't forget your umbrella..  And that IS a cemetery on the hill.

I am experimenting with some palettes that #Hongnian Zhang uses in his book #  the Yin/Yang of Painting".  My buddy, Linda, has been experimenting with them so I thought, maybe limited palettes would make painting easier or at the very least, less anxiety.  So today, I made 3 starts or sketches and will paint each with a different palette just to keep for reference.

Should be an interesting experiment.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Happy Trails

"God Reveals Himself thru Nature" - 18" x 24" Oil Painting

Hey Friends,  "God Reveals Himself thru Nature" was penned by John Muir.  He is a fav of mine.

This scene is something I see often these days.  This is Rt. 460, west of Salem, Virginia near the famous DIXIE CAVERNS and also one of the routes to the famous Va. Tech. Hokies.

There have been plenty of weather systems blowing through our area this spring.  Lots of dark clouds like this and NO end in sight.

Please check it out at my new website HERE.

And check my new blog - I'm getting used to it  HERE 

Happy Trails