Plein Air Friday: More from Disney's Animal Kingdom

I apologize to my loyal blog followers!  I haven't been very active on here lately.  I have a full plate of teaching workshops,  private students, demos, shows, painting for upcoming shows, and a kitchen remodel that is still in the works!  Therefore, I've been limiting my time on social media and writing blog posts.  I'm looking forward to things slowing down over the holidays.  This morning my husband and I went back out to Animal Kingdom to paint.  I had started this one in an earlier session, and finished it today.  We have a little less than a 2 hour window to paint each time.

I like how Violet is patting my shadow shoulder.

I had the Saimang Monkeys that are native to Southeast Asia keeping me company today. Since the weather has cooled off a bit they are a lot more active.  Violet and Veruka are five-year old twin sisters.

This is a work in progress from the start of the morning.

Veruka is hanging ten.

I will add a few more finishing touches in the studio but it's pretty much complete.

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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

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

Original Painting is SOLD. 

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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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Plein Air Friday, Japan Yakitori House

I went out plein air painting this friday and last,  in the community of Windermere, where I  live and got a couple of good starts.  I will finish them on site or in the studio.  Why didn't I finish on site?  Last week it was still pretty hot and as the sun shifted onto me, with sweat dripping on my work,  it was time to call it quits.  Today, I brought the umbrella, and had a great shady peaceful spot, until about a dozen kids that are home schooled came to the adjacent park for recess!  It became super hard to focus.  Oh well, they were having a great time!

My set up today with the umbrella

The top photo is one I did earlier this summer when the Flower & Garden Festival was on at Epcot.  Every year, local residents loan their gorgeous bonsai, for the festival.  Some are more than twenty years old!  I always enjoy seeing them every year!

As Third Vice President for the Florida Watercolor Society, I will be at the annual convention all next week.  However, I still get to paint plein air one day.  I will be doing a one day plein air workshop with Steve Rogers!  I can't wait!   I am also the Social Media Chair for FWS. If you would like to see what goes on at the annual convention like the FWS Facebook page here.

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Plein Air Friday, "Japan Cascade"

Staying inside today while hurricane Hermine passes through Florida. The west coast and panhandle are getting it way worse than we are in central Florida.  Everybody be safe!  I thought I would post a plein air sketch I did earlier this summer at Epcot.  This one is in the Japan Pavilion.  I loved painting all the different color temperatures in the rocks.  Plus, I also really like doing long vertical formats in my sketchbook.

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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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Venice Sketches, Sights & Sounds

When I travel I love to sketch in watercolor.  When I go to a new place I'm always torn, do I  explore more or take the time to sit down and do a sketch. My daughter with her dry sense of humor, coined a phrase, when I schlep all my sketching stuff around, all day to never sit down and do a sketch, says, "Well today it looks like you did more performance art than real art!"  Apropos for someone who actually is a performing artist and sometimes a smart @#%.  Sometimes you just feel more compelled to explore. But there are the times when you purposefully set out to sketch or as you are exploring feel compelled to capture something.  I love the process so I like to take my time and not rush through the sketching experience.  I can take anywhere from one hour to two.  More than two hours is pushing it for me.

I can zone out and focus on what I'm doing, but I'm still able to enjoy the ambiance of my surroundings, especially sound.  I'm focused visually on what I'm sketching of course but the sounds are an extra bonus.  Sometimes not though, I've started sketching only  later after I've gotten started to be accompanied by tree trimming, mowing and leaf blowing! Not so much of this traveling though.

The locations I recently sketched in Venice, I heard the water lapping in the canals, gondoliers, children playing in the squares, church bells, cafe noise, and a din of Italian being spoken.  All of this just enhances and makes sketching more enjoyable.

Then there are the smells, if you are sketching at or near cafes, it hard to stay focused if you are sketching before lunch!

All the senses for me are engaged while sketching, sight, sounds and smells. When I get home and look back at my sketches I can recall all these experiences, something a photo can never do, because we take the photo and move on.  Sketching forces you to be present and experience our surroundings.

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