Plein Air Friday, Disney's Animal Kingdom

The group I have been painting with at Epcot on Fridays has now moved to Animal Kingdom.  We are so psyched!  I was on the design team for this park and have loved it from day one.  We traveled to many places in Asia during the concept and design phase and spending time in the Asia area of Animal Kingdom brings back so many great memories.

This is where I finished today.  I'll tweak and punch up the values in the studio

One of my favorite things about plein air painting is the ambiance surrounding you. At the location today, I thought I would share with you some of my surroundings.  Just behind where I was painting was the home of the White Cheeked Gibbons.  One of the females just had a baby, and here is a video of her with her mom and a few of the males.  The female is a brown color and the males are dark.  The baby's name is Harper named after Harper Lee.

Every morning around 8:00 they start this ritual where they screech, or sing if you will,  to mark their territory.  It is an unbelievable sound and the first time you hear it you think they are electronic sirens or alarms!  Here is a  sound snippet of their songs!  Stick with it they really get going about half way through this one minute audio.

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Plein Air Friday, The Historic Windermere School House

Historic Windermere School House

from $35.00

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Limited Edition Archival Giclée Print Signed and Numbered, Edition of 300

Original Painting is SOLD. 

Regular Size:

Image Size: 10" x 14", 25.4 cm x 35.5 cm

Paper Size:  16" x 20" , 40.6 cm x 51 cm

Small Size:

Image Size: 7" x 5,” (17 .7 cm x 12.7 cm)

Paper Size: 10” x 8,” (25.4 cm x 20.3 cm)

Size: Select Size 10" x 14"5" x 7"

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I was planning on painting plein air at Disney's Animal Kingdom today but the weather put a kibosh on that!  Hurricane Matthew is howling outside as I'm posting this.  I feel extremely blessed, It doesn't seem to be as bad here as what was predicted yesterday but the coasts are  getting the worst of it. I hope all my friends on the coasts are weathering the storm OK.  Everybody stay safe!!

This is a plein air piece I started a few weeks ago and put the finishing touches on in the studio,  I'm really happy with the light quality and contrast on this one.  I feel it has good lights and darks.  It's kind of tricky painting a white structure and maintaining a nice value plan.

My workshop, "Photoshop as a Tool for Artists," is coming up at the Winter Garden Art Association/SoBo Gallery, on October 20.  This is a one day workshop to help artists learn all the different ways they can use Photoshop for their artwork, to marketing to entering shows.  

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Plein Air Friday, Lake Butler Boat Houses

I have a work in progress painting from my outing today.  I went across Lake Butler to the other side  from my community and started a painting of the boat houses.  I was in a relaxing mood this morning and took my time.  I will go back to the same location to finish it another day.  This is about 2 hours scoping location, drawing and painting.

Trying out some new brushes

I was anxious to try my new toys I got at the Florida Watercolor Society Convention & Trade Show last week.  I've always wanted a travel brush set.  At some point, I will condense my kit even more to have a small one that just fits in my purse,  I can use on occasion, instead of carrying a separate bag.  They just happen to be the same brush type I use all the time plein air painting.  I love the Escoda Perla series.  In addition to the #14, I now have a #10, #6 and a #2, in the travel kit!  The extra bonus is I can use them in the studio too! The smaller brush came in really handy on the spanish moss.  It doesn't show up very well in the photo, they came in a black leather case.

I also bought a #16 Escoda Versatil. I had a #14 and found it to be a bit small for what I wanted. This is a synthetic sable brush.  I like to have a bigger sable like brush to lay in large washes and skies.  This worked out really well!!

To quote Tom Haverford on the TV series, Parks & Recreation, "Treat yo-self!"

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New Work: "Gone But Not Forgetten"

I have had such a crazy busy summer, I have been neglecting the ole blog a bit.  Thought I would check in and post a new painting!  This is a big departure from my normal work.  My goal was to try a new technique and push myself to do something different.  The process was so much fun on this one!

This painting is going to be featured in the City Hall of Winter Garden, Florida for a show featuring citrus, since this whole area where I live in Central Florida was a mecca for the citrus industry.  The show will be up from Sept. 12 through October.

When I moved to the area where I live,  17 years ago.  It was very rural and we were a tiny neighborhood tucked in orange groves.  When the trees blossomed in the early spring the smell was intoxicating!  I would always drive with my car windows down and just smell!  I always looked forward to that time of year.

Well things have changed.  All the groves have become housing complexes, shopping centers and high schools.  I guess you can't stop progress or population growth, at least our county commissioners can't because you are hard pressed to find a grove anymore.  This painting is an homage to those times I remember enjoying living around orange groves, hence the title, "Gone But Not Forgotten."  The metallic gold background symbolizes the reverence I feel for those former groves and trees.

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Plein Air Friday: "End of The Line"

Since I try weather permitting,  to paint every Friday morning,  most of the time with the folks at Walt Disney Imagineering at Epcot. I thought why not start a new series on my blog where I post the paintings and sketches! I have been pretty good about posting them on Facebook if you want to follow me there.   This one was done in downtown historic Winter Garden, Florida.  It was done in two sessions.  It has been really hot here and I didn't have the drive or focus to finish it in one go.

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New Work: Venetian Doorbell

I can't believe it's been almost a month since I posted!  I have a little side project going that is taking away some of my studio time.  I'm redoing my kitchen.  Part of my design background is Interior Design, which I did for Walt Disney Imagineering for many years.  I'm in the midst of designing and ordering all the elements for the kitchen now.  Part of me absolutely dreads what's ahead, not having a kitchen for a period of time. However, I will be thrilled when it's done!

This is a small painting inspired by an unusual door bell I saw on my recent trip to Venice.  The tongue is what you press to make it ring!  Was tempted, but didn't try it.  I'm currently doing a larger painting featuring this guy.

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Italy on My Mind

Assisi Guardian

$2,600.00

Watercolor on Archival Handmade Paper, Framed

24" x 22,"  61 cm x 56 cm, Image Size

33" x 31," Framed Size, price included frame

Accepted into the National Kansas Watercolor Society Exhibition, 2016 by juror, Dean Mitchell, Mark Arts Center, Wichita, KS

Inspired by the lion statue outside the Basilica Santa Chiara in Assisi Italy.  This symbolizes the essence and spirit of St. Francis of Assisi and his great love of animals and our duty to protect our earth's creaturesand environment.  The background replicating a stitched pattern is an homage to the ancient art of Assisi Embroidery.

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I'm still on a high from my recent trip to Venice.  I got a little caught up last week and will share some photos and experiences on a future post.  In the mean time, I'm posting  a new painting inspired on a former trip to Italy.

This piece was inspired by a trip to Assisi, Italy.  Guarding the Basilica Santa Chiara, is abeautiful terra cotta lion statue.  Chiara or Clare in english was a friend of St. Francis and the founder of the convent and order of the Poor Clares.  I knew the day I visited, I would eventually do a painting of the lion statue that was so intriguing to me.  I’m not sure ofthe exact significance of the lion here, but to me it symbolizes the essence and spirit of St. Francis and his great love of animals and our duty to protect our earth’s creatures and environment.  In addition, I feel it’s important to protect ancient customs and art forms.  The background in this painting, replicating a stitched pattern, pays homage to the ancient Italian needlework tradition of Assisi Embroidery.

Where is your favorite place to visit in Italy?  Have you seen this Lion in Assisi?

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Japan Plein Air

Another plein air at the Japan Pavilion at Epcot, done mostly on site and another half hour in the studio adding the last few details.   This one is on Twinrocker paper. I use Twinrocker  a lot in the studio and have just started to use it more painting plein air.  Love it for that purpose too!  I love how this paper is sized and how the color seems to float more on the top instead of sinking in right away.  It also lifts very will too.

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Germany Plein Air

Here is a small plein air painting of part of the Germany Pavilion at Epcot.  This one was done in two sessions. I had most of it done on the first day and then returned to lay in the background trees and add the details. I like to plein air paint in my sketchbook ( Stillman & Birn Alpha Series)  but lately I have been doing a few on paper taped to a board.  I ordered a sample pack of a variety of watercolor papers from different manufacturers to try them out.  I normally paint on Arches or Twinrocker. This one was done from an Arches watercolor block, 140 lb. I will be trying out some of the other papers in future paintings and let you know how I like them.

Check out my Travel Sketches and other Plein Air works:

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China Plein Air

This plein air painting was done at the China Pavilion at Epcot.  I had all but the last few details done on site and then finished it in the studio.  The challenge on this one was all the colorful ornamentation and details on the structure.  Therefore, this was a great exercise in indication and not getting caught up on details.  The paper on this one is one of my favorites, Twinrocker.

The day I painted this I was getting hungry I always keep a protein bar or some nuts in my bag for just such an occasion.  I had a bowl of almonds with me that day and as soon as I took the lid off of them, I had a buddy!  He was not shy in the least, as you can tell by these photos.  

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