August 11th - Evening Painting at Indian Lake County Park

July Evening at Indian Lake

We will meet @ 4:30 pm for an evening painting session on August 11th at Indian Lake County Park (see Events Calendar).  I painted the pastel above one evening last month.  The prairie flowers are blooming and there are Great Blue Herons and Sandhill Cranes to be seen (and heard) along the lake shore.  In July I also painted the 2 pastels below near the picnic shelter that is on the left as you enter the park just before the main parking lot.

Cloudy afternoon view from the picnic shelter

Evening near the picnic shelter

Wisconsin Trails / Pope Farm

Last Wednesday a reporter from the Wisconsin Trails web site http://www.wisconsintrails.com/outdoors/sunflowers-dazzle-at-pope-farm-conservancy-b99547086z1-320291721.html was doing a story on Pope Farm and stopped to speak with some of our group and included a couple nice photos in their article. (See Below)

Doug Hayes

Tracy Wiklund and Mary McCormick

It was a very windy sunny day but at least 9 painters showed up and and 4 of us had a nice lunch at a nearby restaurant (Oliva.)  Very few sunflowers that day but they are probably gorgeous right now.  The prairie flowers were also beautiful.

Painted Forest Event

July 29th - Pope Farm Conservancy

Last year's Sunflowers at Pope Farm

We will meet for plein air painting in the morning.  (See Events Calendar for details)

 The sunflowers are planted up on the hillside again this year and hopefully will be close to peak blooming time.  

Vilas Park Follow-Up

It's been a while since we painted at Vilas but I thought I'd post how my painting that I started there ended up after additional work.  I almost tossed my (pretty rough) initial painting but am now glad I stuck with it.  And this is why I love oil paint, you can paint over and over again.

Tom Gilbert

Please Remain Seated

Plein air gear adapted for my mobility issues

Pastel studies at Cherokee Marsh

Plein air painting is challenging when you can't walk very far and have to sit to paint but this set up worked pretty well last week after our wonderful luncheon.  I used the little transport wheel chair to get the gear from my car to the site then set up the Shade Buddy Umbrella, 2 tripods with Heilman Medium Pastel Box on one and a Guerrilla Painter #17 Flex easel on the other.  It bothers my back to lean forward when I'm sitting and the Flex easel lets me get the painting surface up close.  The problem with sitting is not being able to frequently back up and see the painting from a distance but the next best thing is looking at it in a small mirror.  Kyle Martin suggested that at a workshop and he checks for errors in his composition this way.   I use an old makeup compact mirror and some painters use their cell phones.  The Flex easel is very well made and works well for pastel or watercolor.  It's attached to a ball head on the tripod so I can angle it as desired.

Painters in Action at Cherokee Park

Gretchen Twietmeyer

Jan Feyzi

Jan Norsetter

Ching Kung

Mary McCorminck and  Louise Kubista

Bystanders

Reisa Peters

Tom Gilbert

Patricia Duren and Terri Beckengle

Carol Watkins

July 7th Painting and Pot Luck

Ingrid Slamer, Jan Norsetter and Gretchen Twietmeyer in the art filled living room.

The hostess in her kitchen

Louise Kubista, Mary McCormick and Bob Turner on Marla's beautiful porch

Some of the morning's art work

More paintings from Cherokee Park

Carol Watkins with Jan Norsetter's  plein air paintings from the park; not only did Jan finish 2 paintings that morning but also framed them!  Talk about productive!  The group appreciated Jan's commentary on her approach to painting those scenes which was very instructive.

Marla's paintings on the porch

Mary painting from the porch and the gorgeous view of the marsh

Hungry painters

Marla Brenner very generously hosted a pot luck for the group and provided some great cheeses to sample; along with the painters contributions it was quite a spread for the hungry painters.  Thank you, Marla!!  A couple painters worked with the view from Marla's porch which was stunning.  It has to be one of the best views to be had anywhere in the state.  We also enjoyed the works by Marla and other painters that she has collected; there was much to be inspired by.  It was a great opportunity to meet more painters and learn more about art and making it from such an accomplished group.  What an ideal way to celebrate plein air painting in summer! 

Cherokee Outing

We had a very enjoyable outing this morning at Cherokee and I believe it was the best attended outing we've ever had.  Maybe because of the pot luck lunch afterwards.  Here is a photo of Gretchen and Jan Feyzi checking out painting sites.  The morning was a bit hazy with sun coming in and out with beautiful clouds.  And the large cottonwood trees there have such fine noble shapes.  A great day to paint.

Plein Air Painting: Cherokee Park July 7th, 8am

Please note Cherokee Park is not the same as Cherokee Marsh (see map below).  We will paint from 8am to 11:30 then have lunch at Marla's home nearby (see calendar for more info).

Jan Norsetter's painting from last year's outing at this location.

Another Pheasant Branch Painting

This is almost the same view as what Jan F. painted.  I took a clue from your painting, Jan, and added some violet to contrast the green, and then took some liberties with inventing a sky and associated light.

Tom Gilbert

Pheasant Branch

I decided to work on this further at home.  Still not sure it's working, but I'm a bit happier with it than I was the other night.   Simplified the foreground tree as per Tom's suggestion (probably could do more), and got rid of an extraneous bush that was awkwardly placed.  I'm still not sure if the sky is working - I definitely struggled with the fact that the view faced west.  I'm not sure how to deal with the bright glare of the low sun - next time I'll try to pick a view opposite the sun!

Fall 2015 Art Junket

Roberta Condon asked me to share this with DCPAPA...

Pheasant Branch Sky painting

I enjoyed painting last night.  The sky was dramatic and looked sort of like this.

I also enjoyed our gathering after the event.  I learned a lot from everyone, but then I forgot it.  Perhaps we should make a page where people could post links as I already forgot the name of the college in New York, as well as the podcast and probably a bunch of other things.   I'll start with a link to the Epic Rap Battle I mentioned: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGN5xaQkFk0

Plein Air Painting at Pheasant Branch 5:30pm June 23rd

Next Tuesday evening DCPAPA will paint at Pheasant Branch (north area - park in northernmost parking lot)  This is the view from the parking lot taken late last summer so things will be greener now.  Lots of interesting birds nest here. (For more on that check out Mike McDowell's blog: https://birddigiscoper.blogspot.com/

Empire Prairie Outing

We did have good weather for the Empire Prairies Natural Area outing.  They don't mow much there and I had hoped to get there before the grass got too tall.  I could just barely see over it ... I guess that's not too tall.  Various long vistas at this site.  Here's one.  I liked the rock in the foreground.  There's a little glare on this photo but you can get the gist of it.

Pat, really liked your watercolor in your last post.  Reminded me of Edward Seago's paintings.  I'm attaching one,  practically identical!

Tom

June 16th Plein Air Painting

It was a beautiful evening so I am guessing all the DCPAPA painters had a good time at the Westport Drumlin site.  Unfortunately I have been forbidden by my physical therapist to go out painting (or just about anything else) until my right knee heals.  So I did the next best thing and painted the sky over my patio and copied the scene from a book about watercolor painting by an English artist, James Fletcher-Watson.  I've been trying to learn about painting skies and trees.  Sometimes copying is one of the best ways to learn because you find out what works and what doesn't. It is always much harder than it looks.  I painted this on Arches 140 lb. cold-pressed.

June 11th Plein Air Painting Cancelled / RESCHEDULED TO 6/16/15 5:30pm

Tonight's painting outing postponed due to stormy weather forecast but will be rescheduled asap for sometime next week.  I found this view on the web.  Looks like a great view to paint.

Kyle Martin's "Shoe" Painting - Vilas Park May 27th

The pattern of light and dark was very easily seen on the piece of playground equipment. The color of the shoe was also very intense and immediately drew me in. The next time I paint this shoe, I think I'll leave some of the halation out, and simplify the shadow/light planes more. And add some kids! I can't wait for the next time to paint with the group, Cory and I had a great time.   Kyle Martin

Vilas Park May 27th

It was a lovely evening and I was so happy to see a good size turnout and at least one new DCPAPA painter.   This watercolor was painted on 140 lb Arches cold press.  

I am afraid I did not see anyone on Wednesday.

Here is my painting:

Vilas Park Outing

Had a great time painting at Vilas Park on Wednesday afternoon and especially enjoyed meeting up with everyone at the Union Terrace afterwards :)

Here's what I painted
9x12, oil on linen panel

Vilas Park - Paint date changed to Wed. 5/27 5pm

Here's just one choice for a plein air painting at Vilas Park.  Due to Rain in the forecast our painting date was changed to Wed. 5/27 - hopefully we will have a lovely evening for painting!

Ching Kung Paintings

The poets Donna Carnes and Blair Mathews, a former L & S dean, will exhibit their poems at the Pyle Center.  They have invited Kung to show his paintings to accompany their poems.  The paintings will be on sale, with proceeds going to the James F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution and the James F. Crow Professorship, administered through the Genetics Department, UW-Madison. 

Reception:   5 - 7 pm, Friday, June 5 

Pheasant Branch Trail Outing

The weather forecast for our second outing last week was uncertain but we ended up having a nice, although partly cloudy, morning.  A lot of birders were out and about.  I'm still trying to salvage a painting from that outing so I'm posting another painting from a few days earlier painted at Nine Springs park.  These spring days really lift the spirits.

Dane Co. Area Plein Air Workshop

I also noticed that one of our group, Jan Norstetter, is doing a workshop for painting en plein air with oils on June 6th at Whispering Woodlands.  I have taken several classes there and really enjoyed the experience.  I know one of my friends is signed up for this one.  As we know Jan is a terrific and award winning plein air painter! www.whispering-woodlands.com/

Kyle Martin New Show and Workshops

I am a big fan of Kyle's paintings and workshops.  This season he is offering 2 plein air workshops in the Baraboo/Reedsburg area and I signed up for the one in September.  Regardless of what style one paints in I think alot can be learned form Kyle's approach and I have found him to be an excellent teacher.  He also gives a great workshop on values that I took last year.  Check out his blog for details.  kyle-martin.blogspot.com

Bob Tarrell sent this in to alert DCPAPA painters about this event.