Salmo Pond, May 25, 2017Salmo

A beautiful morning at Salmo Pond!

Salmo Pond, May 25th; oil on board;
4.5x8.5"; by Jan Norsetter

Path at Salmo Pond, May 25th;
oil on board;
4.5x8.5"; by Jan Norsetter

Salmo Pond

This is a lot different than  my old 5 hour efforts. After falling flat in my first plein air event it became clear I need to change up something. I'm trying to imagine color even if I don't see it. I know it's not a novel idea but I am a reproducer and adding artful strokes to paintings is new to me.

Salmo Pond outing

Here's yesterday's effort -- a quick study of the trees and reflections on the pond. I am going to leave it as, just as a small study.

Cloudy mornng at Salmo Pond. After a few touch-up in the studio. Oil, 12"x16"

Salmo Pond Painting

Had to fix this one up at home.   As Pat recently mentioned we may put together a show in Cross Plains next year in 2018.  More about that later, but in the meantime we may want to try doing more paintings from the Cross Plains area in anticipation of the show.

Plein Air Painting Workshop June 3rd (Update)

"July Evening on the Sugar River at Sunset Farm" by Jan Norsetter

The following is an excerpt from Jon Wilde's facebook page re: the workshop he and Jan Norsetter will be teaching next week.  It was posted on May 22nd so there may be some more openings yet.  It is a great deal for $75 and should be a lot of fun, too.  I'm not sure how many DCPAPA painters will be there but I know of at least one besides myself.  If you are interested see details below:

SIGN -UP NOW!

THERE ARE ONLY A FEW SPOTS LEFT!

Adult Plein Air Workshop

Seasons of the Sugar River-catching the light in transitions workshop

June 3, 2016, (9:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.)
Location: Belleville Community Park (shelter #1), Belleville, WI 53508

There are just a few spots left!
Come explore the watershed at this one day sketching, drawing, and painting workshop, led by artists Jan Norsetter and Jonathan Wilde. Jan and Jonathan will share their expertise as you capture the beauty of the Lower Sugar River Watershed. All works created as a result of this workshop are automatically juried into The Seasons of the Sugar River-catching the light in transitions, 2018 juried art show at the Monroe Arts Center. Participants will bring their own supplies (see the registration form for a list) and a box lunch. Please register no later than Friday, May 26, 2017.

Cost is $75 for the general public or $60 for MAC and LSRWA members.

Go to to the LSRWA website ( http://www.lsrwa.org/…/program-an…/adult-plein-air-workshop/ )
to download and print the PDF registration form,
complete and mail via U.S. Post with your registration fee to:
Lower Sugar River Watershed Association, P.O. Box 256, Brodhead, WI 53530.

Painting at Salmo Pond & Black Earth Creek May 25th

I think everyone enjoyed painting at the pond although it was overcast most of the morning so some of us painted in the afternoon when the sun came out.  By evening, when I was too tired to paint anymore, it was absolutely beautiful there.  We also enjoyed lunch at the Crossroads Coffeehouse in Cross Plains which often has a painting show hanging on its walls.  Tom said he would be talking more with the owner about possibly having our group have a show there in 2018.  They also hang shows featuring an individual artist or small group.  The food and coffee was excellent.  Tom also said he will be planning our next paint date soon for the week of June 5th so stay tuned for that.

Jean at her easel 

Kung at work

Rick and Kung painting near the creek

Tricia chose to paint the pond

Gina on her 2nd foray into the world of plein air painting!

Jan packed up after a morning of painting

Arboratum and Salmo Pond

I'm not super happy with the grass with the flowering trees but my goal is to paint them and move on ignoring flaws in hopes of avoiding them next time. I used to poke at the same painting for months. I tried to fix it, lol.

Also here is today's painting from the pond. The sky and tree aren't done yet but white was pretty much it.

Trisha's paintings from last two outings

May 3 - first DCPAPA outing - The Crabtree, 8" x 8" oil on panel  

(Can you see the Robin's nest in it?) 

May 16 - second DCPAPA outing - Festgi County Park,  11" x 14", pastel on panel.

 

Salmo Pond and Bigger Brushes

We got a bit of sunshine later yesterday so I decided to check out Salmo Pond which is our next painting site.  It's really a great little place with lots of choices for compositions without having to walk too far from the parking lot.   Many views of the pond are good and Black Earth Creek runs along side it. The only downside is the noise of the traffic at rush hour but with my earphones and the radio on even that was not too bad.  Minus the traffic sounds the air is filled with birdsong.  I do think the earphones also prevented me being interrupted by onlookers although there were only a few people there.  I took Jan Norsetter's advice and used bigger brushes (1/2 & 3/4 inch) for this 8 x 10 oil and it helped me from getting too bogged down in detail.  I gave myself 75 min and stopped when my time was up which also helped me avoid fussing as much as I tend to do.   I painted on a grey Richeson board that I think I got for free somewhere and it had a decent surface but I like those oil primed linen Centurion panels better.  Looking forward to going back with DCPAPA on Thursday.

Black Earth Creek looking south

Festge View

Here's my painting from the main overlook at Festge Park, or at least part of it.  I didn't like some of it and selectively cropped this photo to just include what I liked.   Tom

Yesterday ar Festge Park

Inspired by Tom's comments on wild geraniums I ventured into  the tick world. :-) Here's yesterday's effort, oil on Raymar board, 14"x18". Unfinished, waiting for the next sunny morning to be completed.

Salmo Pond May 25th for Plein Air Painting

Festge Park, May 16, 2017A

It was a beautiful morning. The cloud cover lifted by 9:30am (as promised by Pat Wafer;-)

We met Gary, one of the hardworking 'friends of Festge Park'. Evidence of their hard work was abundant. There were views through the trees that were formerly too thick to see through. The wild geraniums were starting to bloom. Gary says the peak will probably be next week. Salmo pond, across Highway 14, looked inviting. Next time?

A collage of some of the gear the DCPAP's use. Watercolor, oils, pastels...

Untitled, possibly unfinished plein air, 6" x 12", oil on board; Jan Norsetter

Painting crab apples in bloom at the Arboretum is a lot of fun!

Oil on Raymar linen board, 12"x16"

Painting Arboretum

Sorry I could not join you all yesterday -- family duty! :-) However, I've spent a few mornings in the Arboretum this week. Started on a cold overcast day (was it Tuesday?) and managed to block in a painting before I was chased away by rain. Have been hoping to finish it, but... it's sunny and bright now. So, not to waste this glorious weather -- here's another one. My challenge for this season is to get used to larger format for plein air and push myself to work faster. Both paintings are oil, 16"x20" on Raymar panels. I would need another outing for the 'sunny weather' one, and one or two more for the 'cloudy day' one. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate! Also, my two cents to the theme of pink flowers -- they are fabulous this year, indeed. The unknown cherry variety completed last week, oil, 12"x16". Hope to see you all next time!

Arboretum Trees

Here's my completed painting.  Except when it dries maybe I'll try adding a figure in the distance plein air painting.  I had lots of models for that.   Tom

First Plein Air Outing of 2017 - UW Arboretum - Logenecker Horticultural Garden

DCPAPA had a great turnout today. I think I counted 14 painters and 4 of those were painting with us for the first time!  Welcome, Kitty, Gina, Jeanne, and Sarah!!  The crabapples were blooming and the weather was just about perfect so it was very pleasant painting today.  Darya stopped by on her way to pick up her kids and said she had been out painting a lot this spring and hopefully we'll see her next time and it will be warm enough for us to paint in the morning. And hopefully she will be posting some of her work soon, too.  It was a great way to start the painting season!!

Kitty and Gina

Gretchen and Gina

Jan Norsetter

Rick and Gretchen

Mary and her watercolor set up and Gina and Jeanne

Gretchen and Trisha deciding if Trisha's oil painting is finished 

Kung, Trisha and Jeanne 

My 9 x 12 watercolor on Arches 140 lb cold press

Sketching Group in Madison

Sketchers on the left and Raging Grannies singing on the right at Dane Co. Farmer's Market

Brittingham Boats

Union Terrace

                     Urban Sketcher roughing it on a cold winter's day in the Reading Room at the State Historical Society

The people in these photos are having almost as much fun as plein air painters do but usually in more comfortable conditions.  They are the members of Urban Sketchers Madison https://drawmadison.blogspot.com/ a regional Chapter of the international group called Urban Sketchers www.urbansketchers.org/ which is 10 years old this year.  We meet usually twice a month to sketch together for a couple hours and share our sketches and experiences with each other and we would like to invite anyone with an interest in drawing from life to join us.  You can find our schedule by clicking Events on our blog.  For several years we sketched as members of Draw Madison a local group inspired by Urban Sketchers to draw in our community and wherever we traveled.  In 2016 we were invited to apply to for Regional Chapter status in Urban Sketchers and we have been Urban Sketchers Madison since then.  Urban Sketching is a lot like plein air painting in that we are working from what we see in front of us in whatever is the medium of our choice.  And we paint outdoors as much as the weather permits and find cozier places when it is cold or rainy outdoors.  We invite anyone who is interested to come sketch with us.  There are no dues and no experience necessary.  If you have a question please feel free to contact me at pwafer@charter.net.