Olmsted Falls

My sister & I took a painting trip to Olmsted Falls, west of Cleveland, one afternoon this week. It was quite chilly, so we painted quickly. A rushing bubbling brook flows through this lovely rocky ravine. An artists delight!

We combined our trip with an overnight visit to a dear Friend nearby.

9" x 12"     oil on canvas covered board    $450

Ohio River Valley

The Plein Air group painted from the West Virginia side of the Ohio River this week. This is a "backwater" area along Route #2. The river is just out of view, at the base of the hills. The smoke stacks are the Samis plant on the Ohio side of the river.

12" x16"  Oil on linen canvas      $550

Calla Road

Weather prediction foretold of thirty five mile hour winds, but it was a remarkably lovely day. I did layer with seven or so layers of sweaters, some wool, old stretch pants under my long dress three hats & two hoods. Why take chances? We did have several inches of snow that night, & it has not yet melted.

12" x 12"       Oil Painting         $350

Stoney Creek in Autumn

The leaf colors are nearly gone. Orange & yellow leaves cover the ground. I was interested in the deep red & earth green shadows of the water. When the Plein Air Group met at the Lilly pond in Mill Creek Metro park, I wanted to paint the blue heron that stood like a statue in the pond, but there was no background color. Just down the hill was this lovely stoney creek bed. It was complicated to paint, & I would like to return to do another, but it would all be different. I sat below the curved stone bridge behind me. The damp cold from it reminded me of a stone castle. 

11" x 14"      Oil Painting      $450

Guilford Lake, Before the Rain

I painted a demo for an artist friend who lives on Guilford Lake. This is her backyard! Just as I was finishing up the rain began. God has good timing!

12" x 16"    Oil on Linen  $450

Firestone Home, Built 1880

This is an oil painting of a house built in 1880 by Harvey Firestone for his sister. It is on the south edge of Pine Lake along Lipply Road. It was moved to this spot a year ago & is now for sale. Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day to paint plein air after the past week of colder windy days.

Update: We were so sorry to hear an arson set a fire that burnt this house to the ground the summer of 2014. 

16" x  20"     Oil painting      $450

Mary Patterson Gallery

Below are a few photos taken later in the evening of my Gallery show of 39 works at the Mary Patterson last week. There was a nice turnout for the opening. The exhibit runs through November 15. 

The last photos are actually of the Art Outreach Gallery

where a friend & I showed our work that same summer.

Beaver Creek Sycamores

Pac met at Beaver Creek State Park yesterday. There was a chill wind, but three hooded sweat shirts, a down vest, a long sleeve t-shirt, and a fuzzy long sleeve pull over kept me cozy warm. That's six layers, and no snow yet!

I painted on a square wood panel that I had treated with linseed oil. These are ready made to use with encaustic (wax). However, once treated the warm wood tone makes a fine support for oil painting.   

12" x 12"     Oil on wood panel      $450

Liz

I offered to demonstrate Quick oil sketches at the YMCA "Afternoon of the Arts". This is the result. Liz was very lovely, posing patiently while people milled around, commented & photographed the scenario. I have to be happy with this as a quick sketch, but would have continued to work on it given more time. I do love to paint faces!

9" x 12" oil   SOLD

Cattle at 310 & 37

All together I filled 7 canvas' this past week. I was looking for a farm with cattle or horses. When I first set up at this farm there were long horn cattle in this pasture. They did not hang out in the heat but a few minutes, then headed for the shade. I liked the view anyway.

14" x 14"    oil      $550

Ella's Purchase

Just as I was finishing the "Jersey Mill Rd Soy Fields" a bubbly & lovely lady asked if I would paint a picture for them on their property. Their surrounding fields had been plowed  & the trees had not yet turned color. However, I was drawn to some trees lined along the drive. Beyond the tree-line the evening light turned the field a brilliant yellow green. The photo below shows the happy couple, but the colors of the painting are somewhat muted. The painting looked as though it was "meant to be" on their living room wall, which was a light blue green color.

11" x 14"    Oil Painting      SOLD

Jersey Mill Road, Soy Fields

This is a scene along Jersey Mill Road, a bit north of Alexandria. The soy bean fields have a wonderful glow to them when the sun bathes them in it's light. We  hung our paintings wet for a sale along the sidewalk in front of the Sunbear Studio & Gallery in Alexandria.

12" x 16"    Oil  Painting     $550

Roadside Barn With Outbuildings

One morning I was struck by the wonderful shadows & bright lit areas on this old barn & outbuildings. While standing near the road to paint the angle that I wanted a woman drove up in a SUV, asking if her children could watch me paint. Absolutely I said, so out they tumbled. This also inspired the photographer from the Columbus Dispatch to stop for a photo shoot. (My 5 minutes of fame) http://www.dispatch.com/content/slideshows/2013/09/27/ohio-plein-air-competition-.html?slide=7

12" X 16"        OIL          SOLD

Childhood Home near Alexandria

While painting the previous home a passerby stopped to commission me to paint his childhood home. This is also a historical building, which was moved to make room for a new highway. The angles were a challenge, but I really love the finished piece.

11" x 14"   Oil     SOLD

Five Generation Home

This house was built by the Brooks family in the early 1800's, & has been in the family for 5 generations. Ohio Plein Air Society painted in Licking County, around Alexandria & Granville, Ohio, this past week. The weather was beautiful for outdoor painting.

11" x 14"  oil painting    $350

Rhodes' Homestead

Our Northeast Plein Air group met at Rhodes Farm Market along route 46 the last two Mondays. We enjoyed the ambiance. This week the farmers were shredding the corn stalks. Only a little of the flying debris stuck on my painting! Our hosts were so friendly & gracious. Wanted to put the black & white cows in, but they disappeared. 

$350

Cornfield Along Fairfield School Road

The Monday plein air painters club returned to the Old Heck Farm. I drove a mile farther to do a quick painting of this farm from a hilltop on Fairfield School road. This is looking north toward Columbiana. 

11" x 14"    oil     SOLD

Wildflowers at the Wood's Edge

The last summer class for Hoyt was Friday. We painted at the Villa Maria. 

11" x 14"  oil on canvas board   $450

Old Heck Farm

All of you who read my blog, please come to my opening Saturday August 24th 12 - 5 PM. It is at the Art Outreach Gallery in the Eastwood Mall (Niles, Ohio) along Route 422.

The Plein Air paint club met on the old Heck farm, on Crestview Road this past Monday. The day was perfect for painting. We found this glorious reflecting pond. I had some especially nice wood structures, that were made for encaustic painting. I seasoned them with linseed oil.

12" x 12"     Oil on wood      Sold

Corn in Tassel

The Corn rows wrap around the hillsides, a velvet like shimmer  of orange tassels. Bulls huddle in the shade at the crossroads of Lower Elkton and Crestview roads. We are very grateful to the nearby family who welcomed us to park on their property.

11" x 14"     Oil on canvas covered masonite  SOLD

Oat Shocks

This is a view from an Amish schoolhouse near new Wilmington Pennsylvania. My Plein Air students chose this place to meet. This day I couldn't resist painting along with them. The family that owned these fields rode their horse & cart out to see our finished paintings. Others spoke to us as they passed along the road. I am enjoying this class so much.

11" x14"      Oil on canvas board     $550

Hills of Sunflowers

Fields of yellow fringed sunflower faces on Macklin Road are a thrilling view for landscape artists. Some of us went back a third, and fourth time to paint on location. This week I took a larger stretched canvas, 28 x 28 inches square. 

I will be showing my paintings at the Art Outreach Gallery on August 24 through September 29th. The Gallery is in the Eastwood Mall in Niles, Ohio.

28" x 28"   Stretched Canvas   $1000

The Sunflower Fields

The day we planned to meet here was pouring rain. I knew in might be a bad idea, but I couldn't resist setting up under my umbrella. The next day I returned to finish. 

12" x 12"   Board coated with linseed oil  SOLD

Sunset at Lakeside is an event. Many people stroll out on the pier or sit in the benches along the walkway to watch the natural movie. I have always considered sunsets God's abstract artistry. The lake reflections glow & change  with the sundown as the waves carry the colors into shore. I felt an inward glow soaking in this natural phenomena.

11" x 14"   Oil on canvas board     $450

Kenton Row, Lakeside

This past weekend I painted four paintings at the Lakeside Chautauqua on the Marblehead Peninsula along the Lake Erie shoreline.. A warm & friendly community gather there throughout the summer. It feels like going back in time to another era. My friends & I stayed in Lakeside Hotel, a historic victorian hotel, built about 135 years ago. These houses are in Kenton Row facing the recreational area of the village.

11" x 14"     Oil on canvas board   SOLD

Sheep on Heck Road

I am behind on my posts! We painted another area of the sheep farm a few weeks ago. We found a shady spot to watch the little lambs play, while we painted away. Just beyond this view, to the right are fields of sunflowers waiting to be our next subject.

16" x 19"   Oil on canvas board       $450

Field And Clouds

PAC group painted again from the Mennonite Meeting House on Renkenberger Road. The place is so peaceful. The weather was hot & muggy, but sitting in the shade mixing paint while breezes gently shifted the grasses was the best place to be.

14" x 17"         Oil on canvas board       SOLD

Lakeside, Houses on Second Street

This was my final Lakeside painting this past weekend. I painted the view sitting next to the shuffle board courts, looking up across Second Street, at the period houses. The work is painted directly on a natural wood surface. 

10" x 10"      Wood panel      $450

OPAS converged on the LakeSide Chautauqua on Lake Erie once again. Once again the flower gardens made a lovely foreground for our paintings. In the background is the pavilion. An enthusiastic & gracious area resident bought the painting during the outdoor art show.

11" x 14"       Oil on canvas board     SOLD

Outlaw Barn

A few weeks ago 10 members of the PAC met at the OutLaw Farm in New Springfield. It was an extremely hot, muggy day.  Nevertheless we enjoyed the peaceful setting.

                                                   9" x 12"        Oil on canvas      SOLD

Ohio River, Boat Club

This week the appointed place for the Plein Air Painters to meet was at the East Liverpool Boat Club, right down on the Ohio River.The members would come & go. Some would cart supplies to Babbs island in the center of the river. The scene would change as normal activity progressed, & as the sun & clouds moved across the sky. We appreciated the open friendliness of the members. A very relaxing place to spend an afternoon!

Oil Painting on board    SOLD

Pine Lake at Ben's

The Monday Plein Air group met in Ben & Marcia's back yard this week. They have a lovely view of Pine Lake. The weather was hot & muggy, but we enjoyed a breeze under the shade trees. No better way to spend time than this!

8" x 10"    Oil on canvas            $450

Hoyt Roses

Yesterday was the first summer plein air class at the Hoyt Art Center. The new students are so enthusiastic. There was a light rain the whole time we were outside. This is a demo I painted in the rose garden at the Hoyt Center.  

hoytartcenter.org/

11" x 14"         oil on masonite       SOLD

Ohio River, Wellsville

This week the Plein Air group painted on Riverside Ave. in Wellsville. The day was grey, & poured down rain before & after we painted. But we all enjoyed the paint-out. The home owners along the street were thrilled that we wanted to memorialize their view in paint. Somehow an East Liverpool Review photographer happened on us & saw a story. Check the photo out at

http://www.reviewonline.com/page/content.detail/id/567323/

8" x 12"       Oil on linen        $150

Hidden Pool

Last weekend I attended a Tom McNickle workshop in the small town of Lowellville on the Mahoning river. The day passed too quickly. He talked about the need to carefully study your mixes of summer greens. 

16" x 20"        Oil on Board       $450

Portrait of R. Flores

Portrait of Rebecca Flores. This is in the back patio of the Smith Center. We began the morning somewhat apprehensively. I was in a hurry, because of predicted rain. She was not sure if the black dress or the red would look better. In the end it all came together beautifully. Only a few sprinkles rolled off the oil paints.

18" x 23"      Oil on Canvas    SOLD

Baled Hay

The area plein air group painted again on Macklin Road. There were a few clouds when we started, but they all blew away. It was windy. The sheep were in another pasture, which disappointed us, but the backlight this direction was dramatic.

14" x 14"    Oil on Masonite       SOLD

The Peony Garden

Met up with OPAS Painters at Kingwood Gardens in Mansfield, Ohio. I painted these wonderfully scented peonies. The wind blew & wafted their scent around me. As I finished up I noticed that the last petal of the nearest pink flower was drifting to the ground.

11" x 14"    oil on masonite      $350