Paoli 7-15-17

Here is my effort from Saturday. It's a little 8x10 I am varnishing it to take it back to the girl in the hut that wants it. :)

Paoli Painting

It wasn't a DCPAPA event but a few of us painted at Paoli on Saturday during their music festival weekend.  Maybe we can post some of the paintings.  Here's the two I did.  The second one was a quick sketch of the scene while I drank beer and listened to two musicians playing.  Now that's the way to paint! I think the guy on the left was Johnny Cash ... at least that's how I painted him.

Tom

Warner Beach

Here's another Warner Beach painting.  My first version had some problems with it ... I was distracted by the paparazzi.  Here's the repaired version.

Tom Gilbert

 

Warner Middle 6-27-17



 

 

 

Congrats all

Warner Beach and Pot Luck Lunch

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Some of DCPAPA's paintings from this morning at Warner Beach

Thanks so much to Kung for hosting us for a pot luck lunch today.  We all enjoyed touring his in home studio and gallery.  Many wonderful oil paintings!! 

Pheasant Branch, evening of June 7

I am sorry I was too lazy to follow some of you up the hill -- the views and your paintings are great!  I was so tired that evening that couldn't even stand up in front of my easel, so, instead, I went down to the springs, sat on the bench there and did this study of the grasses and springs.  Oil on Raymar board, 12"x16".

Memorial Union Terrace June 21st

It was a beautiful evening to paint from the Union Terrace.  I sketched for a while from the Terrace and then went over just west of the Union Theatre. It was pretty peaceful over there with a great view of Picnic Point.   I think it would be a good place to paint a nocturne, too.

View from the Union Terrace

Sunset Over Picnic Point

Siraj Hull - Watercolor Show

My show is free of charge, and the display is throughout the month of July, 2017 at:

The Health Sciences Learning Center

750 Highland Ave. Madison, WI 5370

Plein Air Painting at Warner Beach Area - 8am to noon - June 27th

Meet in the parking lot off Woodward Drive for painting from 8am to noon.     

Pheasant Branch Evening June 7th

I got around to adjusting the values in the sky which I had originally painted much too dark that evening.  I was not sure I could paint that much lighter over darker pastel but I brushed a lot of the darker colors off and I think it worked out ok.  The ground is Pastelmat, a French paper made by Clairefontaine and it is one of my favorite papers.  It is not a sanded paper but still allows a lot of layering and comes in great colors for landscape painting.  This one was Buttercup which along with Maize are really nice ground colors for summer pastels.

Vilas Park outing - Very nice evening for painting.

Here are my paintings from the last two DCPAPA outings. Vilas Park and Pheasant Branch Park - the view from Fredericks Hill. Both paintings I tweaked just a bit in my studio. It continues to amaze me how different the paintings can look when viewed indoors. I am pleased that I can see some progress in my painting and that I continue to keep a positive attitude.  Both paintings are 9 x 12 on panel using Daniel Smith water soluble oils. 

Vilas Park Evening

It was a very nice evening at Vilas and I plan to go there again tonight only a little later.   The light really got nice after 7pm and looked best after 8pm.  The problem is that it doesn't last long!  But I thought I would try having my gear all set up and try a couple quick pastels.  Pastels are a real advantage when speed is an issue.  Last night I painted this small gouache on 6 x 6 Aquaboard.

Vilas Painting

We had a good group and a nice evening for painting at Vilas Park yesterday.  When the sun set there was just a beautiful sky and light on the distant lake shore.  Unfortunately I had already finished painting and was packing up. I'm thinking of painting a series of Madison lake shore scenes.  So in addition to my Lake Wingra (just a small slice of it) painting from yesterday I'm attaching another painting from my series (of Lake Monona).  Doesn't every painting need a distant sailboat?

Tom

Pleasant Branch Painting

Had a nice evening and good turnout for painting at Pleasant Branch Creek.  Even had a couple ambitious people climb the hill to paint.  Despite polite compliments from people walking along the trail where I was painting my painting was pretty awful.  But I liked the scene so I used my first effort as a study and did this painting today.  So it's not plein air, but it's the same view.

Tom

Next Painting Outing at Pheasant Branch - Evening of June 7th

 We will paint at Pheasant Branch Conservancy on Wednesday June 7th starting 4:30-5 PM.  Yesterday I climbed to the top of Frederick's Hill and painted a pastel of the creek.  It is a long way to carry much gear but I got it all in one backpack.  I took the small version of a Heilman pastel carrier which only weighs 4 lbs when packed compared to the Backpack size which weighs 7 lbs.  The problem is picking the right colors because you have so much less room.  I will repack the pastels today bearing in mind what colors I needed yesterday that I didn't have.  Most important is having a good range of values.  Using the small box forces me to think hard about color and value and it is much easier to carry up that hill.  The path winds around and it is a long hike if you have a heavy load.  But it is nice and cool and shady at the top.

Frederick's Hill

10x12 pastel on Wallis paper

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