White Poinsettia on Gold Lame'

On the Third Monday artist met in Suzanne's studio. I was quite happy that she had this lovely white poinsettia for us to paint. The shiny gold lame' cloth was a bonus!!. This time we used one of her floor lights to illuminate it. I do like to paint challenging stuff. I am very happy with the way the paint went on the surface. It was a new support, still cradled board.

20" x 16"  Cradled Wood   $450

Zepernick Lake Preserve

This past Monday Kathy prompted me to arrange a Plein Air Paint-out at Zepernick Lake preserve on State Route 172. The sun was bright, although the air was nippy. We took care to sit in plain view, aware that it was deer hunting season.

12" x 24"   oil on cradled wood   $550

Hoyt View of New Castle

Ending that same week in Eleventh Month I painted a view from the Hoyt Art Center second floor window. They held and their fall open house on the 18th. The New Castle news even used a photograph of me in their news story! Not pretty, at my age, but the palette and painting looked good!

12" x 12"   oil on cradled wood   $450

Purple Kraut

I was invited to demonstrate for some students of Michelle's in Wapakoneta. Taking things I had at hand, I decided to use objects that might be used in sauerkraut. A wooden stomper, salt, vinegar, purple cabbage, a steel grater, bak choy, and some pots. The audience seemed appreciative, plus they were fun and entertaining!

12" x 12"   Oil on Cradled wood   $450

Lamppost Farm

11/13/17, Having scheduled a Meet-up to paint at Lamppost Farms I thought in the early part of the day no one would meet me there. The rain discourages some artists. I didn't feel like battling the rain either. However the rain let up about time to leave, so I went. The animals on this farm seem comfortable with a stranger, even curious. So, I painted alone this dreary day in Eleventh Month.

12" x 12"   Oil on cradled board      $350

Autumn Creek

Scheduled the last plein air for this month at the suspension bridge in Mill Creek Metropark. The color was brilliant. I used my pallet knives on this. I think it helped give the feel of the scattered leaves!

12" x 12"  oil on cradled wood   $450

Nearby Pond

There is  a pond nearby, on Signal Road where you may notice I paint from time to time. I thoroughly enjoy painting the natural setting! The owner is very gracious to give me access to paint his pond.

12" x 12" oil on cradled wood  $450

Schiller Park

About mid October my artist friends Michelle Walker and Marianne Miller met in Schiller Park, Columbus. The old vermillion brick homes lend themselves to these oil painters pallet! It certainly adds to the fun when painting with good friends!

12" x 12"  oil on cradled wood   $450

Calla Road

The days are turning cooler. This particular day I scheduled a artist meet-up at Calla Road Bird Sanctuary with the help of Ed Jones. Several showed up, but were dressed for the chilly weather. They think I sacrifice or suffer to paint, or am particularly tough. Not so, I find that several, maybe seven layers, including 3 wool sweaters and alpaca socks, keep me cozy. An artist must catch that scene when the color is popping. Photos just don't tell the whole story!

12" x 16"   Oil painting    $350

Overcast Reflections

Another fall at Beaver Creek State Park. The Master Creator's brilliant color palette entices this merely  human artist out into plein air. There is a saying, "you can't make this stuff up!!" maybe I can apply here? I scheduled my group to paint on a day that turned out to be cloudy. Sometimes the colors have a deeper brilliance on such days.

11" x 12"  Oil on cradled wood  $550

The Flats, Cleveland

Michelle and I painted in the Cleveland Flats on the Center Street bridge Friday and Saturday afternoon. It was a fascinating place to paint. A painting at every turn. However we chose this area at the end of the red bridge. The gatekeeper tried to talk us into taking a photo to paint from, rather than standing so near the mechanical gates. I told him we were "Plein Air" painters. He responded that he felt like he was keeping a Frenchmen from painting the Eiffel Tower! So he said we could stay, but when the bells and whistles went off we were to leave our easels and run beyond the gates. Sweet guy.

12" x 24"            Oil on Cradled Wood            $650

Emerald Necklace Marina

Friday Morning painted with my artist Friends Michelle and Marianne at Emerald Necklace Marina in Cleveland, Ohio. What a beautiful morning & place to hang out!

12" x 12"    Oil on Cradled Wood      $550

Woolf Apple Orchard

Woolf Apple Orchard along Route 9 hosted our paint-out this hot fall day. The trees were laden with perfect apples. We did manage to avoid the poison ivy. 

12" x 12"   oil on wood   $350

Marianne's Backyard

A friend of Anita, Marianne, invited us to paint in her amazing back yard. She is a collector, and everything has a story. The fountain reminds her of her late husband, because the child is holding a shell. Blue glass is placed liberally, yet artistically throughout the gardens. 

12" x 12"       Oil on wood     $450

Lotus Blossom

A small pond not far from us displays these glorious lilies every fall. It's somewhat challenging to paint them as the wind blows the platter sized lily pads about like a line full of laundry flapping. The plein air artists who painted along side me enjoyed the lovely day the Lord blessed us with as we painted the lotus blossoms.  

18" x 20"    Oil on cradled board    

Sunflower Patch

The Mill Creek metro-park experimental farm planted a field of sunflowers this year. I almost missed them. They are fading, but we had a good turnout of painters who did lovely renderings of the golden flowers.

12" x 24"  oil on cradled wood $650

Catalpa Farm Market

On the day of the eclipse we met to paint plein air at Catalpa Grove farm market. What a day to study the light in the open air. originally I expected to paint some of the farm. But, I was drawn to this lovely table of ceramic pots against a background of old barn windows.

12" x 12"   oil on cradled board     $350

Zinnia Patch

An artist friend, Betsy Ford, organized a plein air paint-out in Mill Creek Fellows Garden area for the area watercolor society. She did a fantastic painting herself from the gazebo. I was drawn to this patch of bright pink zinnias. The bench in the shadows made the perfect setting. (no joke) 

12" x 12"       oil on cradled wood      $650

Beaver Creek Summer

We had a good artist turnout this week! We all sort of crowded down along the creek again. Nothing like water reflections to give a glow to a painting and a flow to the composition.

12" x 12"     oil on cradled wood    $550

Summer Creek

Plein Air group meet at Beaver Creek state park. The wild flowers   backlit against the creek were an inspiration. Soaking up the quiet peace of the valley as I paint is a wonderful experience. Entering this in a show!!

12" x 12"     oil on cradled wood      $650

Burlingame Farm

This past Monday I painted at the Burlingame farm. What a joy to sit in those fields on a summer day, clouds floating in a blue sky, fresh giant hay bales scattered beneath. 

12" x  24" Oil on cradled wood  Sold

Echinacea and Butterfly Bush

This is an area of the Fellows Riverside Garden in Mill Creek Metro-park near Youngstown Ohio. The coneflowers and butterfly bush are so paintable!!. 

12" x 12" oil on cradled wood  $450

Maxwell's Hospitality House

One day at Lakeside Chautauqua I sat in front of this warmly lit and welcoming Bed and Breakfast. What fun to try to capture the atmosphere of this lovely home.

12" x 24"  Oil on Cradled wood.   $575

Lakeside Garden

I spent one week at Lakeside Chautauqua on Lake Erie this month. My Friend Michelle and I taught at the Rhein Center. My classes were, you might guess, Plein Air classes. This was a demo for my class. It has sold since then. It now lives in Shelby, NC!

Roy's Farm

This was a beautiful day with storm-clouds threatening! Our group met at a farm near Winona on Winona road. Finished painting just as the storm let loose.

12" x 24" Oil on cradled wood   SOLD

Kridler's Gardens

Met some artists at Kridler greenhouse and gardens to paint. So much to pick from!(Joke) small stretched 8" x 10" stretched canvas already sold.

Simon's Fields

I scheduled Simon's hay field for our Monday Plein Air meet-up. My hope was that the round bales would still be sitting, throwing some shadows onto the fields. The clouds too were making a wonderful display of rolling light & shadow. Thankfully the dramatic landscape held. The wind was somewhat gusty, forcing me to hold the easel still with one hand while painting.

12" x 24" Oil on cradled board SOLD

Franklin Park

Marianne and I each painted a demo for Michelle's art class at Capital U. one morning. That afternoon we had a few hours before picking up our paintings from a show at Columbus Art Museum. We chose to spend our time painting the gardens at Franklin Park.  

12" x 16"  oil on canvas board  $550

House on Franklin

We had about given up our plan to paint with John Daniels plein air meet-up that evening, considering the sporadic rainstorms. However, about eight PM we decided to give it a try. The meet-up was on Franklin Street, an old section of Columbus. Between a few  scattered showers I caught some light and angles of this interesting house on Franklin. 

11" x 14"    Oil on canvas board    $350

Roses in the Rain

Last week my friends Michelle and Marianne painted with me in the  Columbus park Garden Of Roses. It was a beautiful day! An accomplished classic guitarist came along to play nearby as we painted. As the afternoon wore on a black cloud blew over us and everyone scattered. But, I was not quite finished. Fortunately I paint in oils, the water runs off of them. I was able to cover my board to finish, and the rain let up a bit.

12" x 16"   Oil on canvas board  $550

Mary's Garden

We painted again this year in Mary's well tended garden. It happened that early that morning the farmer who rents her fields had baled the hay. We were so excited for the opportunity to include them to lend interest to our paintings. Just as we settled on our composition the farmers drove in with a wagon and bale lift to take up the bales. We groaned. Sweet Mary ran out to ask the farmers if they would begin pick up in fields over the hill. They were very kind to agree, much to our relief!

16" x 20"   Oil on cradled wood   $550

Shi Su Roses

One afternoon in the Fellows Riverside Rose garden. Noises in city of Youngstown fade when walking or painting in the gardens. 

12" x 12"  Oil on cradled wood   $450

Fellows Rose Garden

Our painting group returned to Fellows Riverside Garden to paint this week. The roses are blooming, so hard to decide which nook and cranny to paint! This color is Elle. The petals range from yellow to peach to orange, exquisite.

16" x 12"    Wood Panel    $350

Last week Tresa invited our outdoor painting group to paint at her lovely 1837 cottage on the lake. They had a lush Rhododendron in bloom. Really a dream house!I could have sold this twice.

18" x 20"   Oil on Cradled Wood    Sold

Iris In The Shadow of a Linden Tree

Mid-month the Plein Air painters met to paint at Fellows Riverside Gardens. I was in the mood to paint iris. I only found four. These two were blooming in the shade of a linden tree. They had been planted on an island in the parking lot. 

12" x 12"   Oil on Cradled Wood  $350

Lowmiller Farm

The second week in May my artist friend Michelle made the 3 hour trip across Ohio to paint with me. We met another artist, Kathy at this farm near Paris, Ohio. The Lowmiller farmer was gracious, having no problem with us painting on his property.

18" x 20"  Oil on Cradled Wood  $450

View Looking East on Route 558

This is an older painting I recently sold. A local scene.

10" x 10"  Canvas covered Board  SOLD

Ancient Anderson Tree

I had no idea this 42 Foot high, 350 year old white oak tree existed, 20 minutes from our home! One day when drive an uncle and aunt home from church my aunt happened to mention it. I was finally able to make contact with the owner for permission to bring my plein air group here. Absolutely awe inspiring to spend an afternoon observing such living treasure.

16" x 20"  Oil on Cradled Birch  $450

Mohican Falls Trail

One lovely spring day I met-up with my artist friend Michelle Walker at Mohican State Park. We asked about an interesting place to paint and were told there was a waterfall ten or so miles up the road. Upon arrival we discovered it was a 2 or 3 mile hike, mostly uphill, to the falls. I did not have my backpack, still we were determined to check out the falls. We climbed, me pulling my card over roots and rocks imbedded in the path. Sometimes along a steep drop off into a river, at other times crossing a rivulet flowing down to the river. When we arrived at the rather narrow trickle of a falls it was completely in shadow. Neither one of us felt we could get a good painting from it. So, since we had climbed all that way we painted with our back to the sound of falling water. Plants hadn't sprouted much yet, but the moss was nice.

This painting was juried into the 2018 Best Of OPAS show Gallery 10 in Kent, Ohio

16" x 24"     Oil on cradled birch wood   $550

Daffodill Meadow

There is an area of Mill Creek Metroparks called Daffodil Meadow. My plein air group painted here twice this month. It is very popular with the public when in peak bloom. We have been painting here three years at least, when the hillside is covered in bright yellow blossoms. I will try to get a better photo. The painting is hanging at the Davis YMCA this month.

16" x  18"  Oil on canvas covered board   SOLD    

Anita Reading

Another of my winter indoor paintings. Our hostess, Anita, posed for us one cold day. Each of the artists did fantastic paintings in their own styles! This is mine, a 12" x 12" oil on cradled wood.

12" x 12" oil on wood  

Franklin Conservatory

A few weeks ago My artist friends Michelle Walker & Marianne Miller met to paint at the Franklin Conservatory in Columbus, Ohio. The orchids were in bloom that week. It was the perfect place to paint on a cold winter day. Under a roof, but brightly lit with natural light and living plants of every type throughout. We hope to return at some point.

12" x 12"  oil on cradled wood  $450

Winter At Park Edge

One winter day I chose to paint at the edge of the Mill Creek Fitness Trail. The sun would come and go, but I did not stay out long. It has taken me a while to take a good photo of this. 

16" 20"    Oil on wood panel    $450

Sprucevale Spring

We felt spring had finally arrived this past Plein Air Meet-up at the Sprucevale area of Beaver Creek State park. What a beautiful day to bask in nature.

16" x 20" oil on cradled wood $550

More Old Hats

We arranged another composition of the old hats. This time I added myself reflected in the mirror.

12" x 12" oil on cradled wood  $550

Old Hats

Anita has been given some old hats that her friends found in an attic. What fun our art group had composing a painting around them!

sold

Swamp In Late Winter

Kathy Farthing and I painted together again on February 13th. The thermometer registered around 30 degrees. I was not expecting to stay out long. However the sun shone brightly on us. We were a little protected from the breeze in this wooded area, near the Mill Creek Park fitness trail. In fact we were very comfortable.

12" x 12"  Oil on cradled wood   $650

Pomegranate And Beets

Occasionally, Michelle, the artist and my friend takes time out to drive the 150 miles or so to visit and paint. We set up this still life in my studio. 

12" x 12"  Oil on cradled wood  $550

Magenta Cyclamen

My birthday present needed to be carved in paint! So I obliged it. Several artists demonstrated at the local Y,I chose to paint my birthday present.

12" x 12"  oil on cradled wood   $550