BOTETOURT PAINTING

Hey Friends,  I thought I was in Buchanan but the proprietor told me I was in Botetourt.   Doesn't matter to me, both are equally gorgeous.  But I DO love this particular estate.

I am happy with the painting above but would still like to put a few horses in.

It is hard making that dry, goldish-brown color of the fields.

This painting is a lot better now.  It looked so simple, that is why I choose to do it with the left over oils on my palette.  But, NO, it was not.

The light was really changing fast so I quit.  Will finish later.

There are 2 rose bushes up there in the darkest area of the photo.

And today I went with my plein air group to Sinkland Farm just outside of Christiansburg, Va.

We had a beautiful day for plein air as you can see from the photos.

I choose this vignette with the truck and cows!  Fun except a hundred vehicles driving over the dry gravel road and kicked up a dust storm every time.  We are so very dry here in SW Va. and it's time to worry about forest fires.

And I do not know what this little structure is for but I LOVE IT.  Susan the owner has put out a lot of cute little things for the kids to interact with.  They have tons of children come on school buses from every where.  And they love to SQUEAL.

Can't wait to go back !

Happy Trails

GREAT DAY FOR PLEIN AIR AND A WORKSHOP

Hey Friends,  Busy time of the year, right?

Have you gotten your Babes already for school?

Linda and I don't have to worry about that anymore, our Babes are all grown with Babes of their own.

So Thursday we went to South Peak, here in Roanoke, Va. and painted from inside an empty/under construction Home unit on the top floor.  With the windows and door open it was almost like being outside.  We wanted a little plein air practice because our event at South Peak will be here before you know it.

And I want to remind you there is still time to sign up for the "NO BRUSHES WORKSHOP" at the LAC.

CLICK HERE for registration info.

Go.....Do it Now....And I'll see you there.

Happy Trails

BEAUTIFUL SATURDAY HERE IN SW VIRGINIA

Hey Friends,  I have been outside in the yard painting this morning.  Too lazy to go find a pretty spot.  I have been painting from memory.

Set up under the big Ginko Tree.

What I have been doing is, making a few shapes/lines from photos taken before hand of my Secret Place, just down the road from me.

This Secret Place is where the local brick company has been getting their clay to make bricks.  The excavating and blasting they have done is, of course, changing the landscape.

I will look at the photo on my computer screen and then come back outside to paint what I remember.  And I only look at the screen once, I don't want to remember every detail.

This makes it a bit more interpretive and more like really being there.  I made four 8x10's of this place.  Now I must wait for my scanner to be re-installed before I can do anything else with them.

They will go into my EBAY store..  Can anyone tell me why my scanner just decided to leave home?  Do storms do it?

This last bitty fella came from a farm on Rt. 220 going to Clifton Forge.  I was riding this trip with a friend so I was able to take some fairly decent photos.  When I'm driving I get nothing but a blur.

I had to bring the easel and all inside because I can't make a cow look like anything from memory.

Love it when I find black and white cows!

So I'll post again when the scanner works.

Happy Trails