Tag Archives: Art

Visiting Margaret

17 Thursday Jul 2014

Posted by in Art, Flowers, Plein Air, Sketch, Urban City Scape, Watercolour

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Mary and I went to visit our friend Margaret today.  Margaret is the co-founder at the Windsor & Essex County Plein Air Society.  She and I founded the group back in 2009.   She’s been laid up with a broken leg for over 6 weeks, and we all miss her.

I first got the watercolours out after having them tucked away since fall.  The pot was sitting in the shade, and lack of sun made it difficult to give it depth.  I should have put a cast shadow in, but I forgot.  Oh well.  It was just a quick sketch.  You always see your mistakes once you photograph your work.  I don’t go back in and fix my plein air paintings in the studio.  Why?  Discipline.  My mistakes will glare at me and hopefully make me get out of bad habits.

I also brought along my vintage Sheaffer fountain pen to try out. Everything was going swimmingly, until I tried to add watercolour. OOOPS!! The ink was not waterproof. So… I rescued the sketch by washing the ink. It was fun. Need some waterproof ink though.  There is no one who sells it around here, so I will have to go online and have it shipped in.  That of course raises the price beyond reasonable.  *sigh*  … and people wonder why artists charge so much for their work.

Ambassador Bridge at McKee Park

14 Monday Jul 2014

Posted by in Art, Landscape, Oil painting, Plein Air, Urban City Scape

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Had a lovely sunny day on Monday July 14th.  I found some more 8″ x 8″ canvas’.  I’m really liking the small square format.  Unfortunately, McKee Park is over run with Canada Geese.  They are quite bold, and will hiss at you.  I shooed them away, but geese can be quite aggressive.  My brother was attacked by domestic Geese when he was in his teens.  They left huge blood blisters all over his legs.  I was trying to eat my sandwich and they had me surrounded!  While I was painting, quite a few people came down and fed them entire loaves of bread.  Bread is not good for them.  People… don’t feed the geese!  Not only does it make them un-afraid of humans, they make a mess of our parks with their poop.  Did you know that one goose can poop out 1.5 POUNDS a day??!!  Do you know what that’s doing to our parks, lakes and streams?  When you cry that you can’t go in swimming because the ecoli count is too high, look around, are there geese on the beach?  I swear the Canadian Geese and the racoons are going to take over the world!  (Thank you Jack Miner, Walt Disney, and the bleeding hearts of the world.)  McKee Park needs to change its name to Goose Poop Park.

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Kingsville Lakeside Park

10 Thursday Jul 2014

Posted by in Art, Landscape, Oil, Oil painting, Plein Air

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It was difficult trying to get out last week.  Everyday the weather decided to do something new.  We ended up rescheduling our paint out from Monday to Thursday July 10th.   I headed out around 9 A.M. on a bright sunny day.  It’s an hour drive out to Kingsville, if you stop for coffee, and I MUST stop for coffee!  It was so sunny that I had to cover my left arm and face or I would have fried.  Looking ahead of me the scene was very different.  I was headed south to Lake Erie, and the clouds were dark, ominous and massive.  What to do?  It looked clear to the west, and that’s the direction the storms come from, so I continued.  I was also concerned that someone else might be headed out there too, as the leader I had to be there to greet them.

As I pulled into the parking lot at Lakeside park it was just sprinkling.  Maybe it would blow over?  Then it hit!  A deluge, I was thinking we may have to build an ark!  I started to text our members telling them it was a washout.  Most would be coming from the lovely sunny northern part of the county, so they, like me would be unaware of the storm.  One member, Wendy, was at the outskirts of town when the storm hit.  She had voice to text on her phone and told me it was not bad at the edge of town.  By the time she got to the lake it had blown over.  But the news she brought was a bit disconcerting.  She thought she saw a funnel cloud over the lake on her way to me.  Well, we found out later on the news she did indeed see a funnel cloud.  In fact there were several of them that touched down on the lake that morning.  They call them water spouts.  They pull the water up into the air and it can cause very bad flooding on land.  They are not as strong as a tornado, but can be dangerous to boaters.

We hunkered down in the park’s gazebo to paint just in case it started to rain again.

Not all Paintings are Winners

21 Wednesday May 2014

Posted by in Art, Julia Kay's Portrait Party, Landscape, Oil, Oil painting, Plein Air, Portrait

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So, having said that I have to say that this month got off to a rocky start with my plein air paintings.  Two for the trash bin!  But, I did make up for it with a couple of great portraits that are headed to the Julia Kay Portrait Party exhibition in Lapeer, Michigan.  I’m also had happy with two of my plein air paintings in May.

As for plein air this week at Malden Park was a good painting, but I ended up getting into the ticks.  I’ve got the heebee jeebies!  I found two crawling on me when I got home on Monday.  I thought I was clear of them when last night I reached behind my ear to feel a lump.  You guessed it, a tick was imbedded behind my ear.  Well… it would have been great if I’d noticed it earlier in the day, but no it was past midnight!  So I called telehealth a service by the province of Ontario.  The service gives you access to a nurse that will help you with making a decision on if you need to go to emergency, or if it can wait till  morning.  Well, unfortunately since the tick was probably in my ear for over 24 hrs it was important that I get it out asap.  I didn’t trust  my hubby to take it out, so off to emergency we went.  Even the ER Dr was squeamish.  A nurse practitioner got the lil begger out.  So now Freddie the Freeloader is headed off to the public health unit to be tested for Lyme disease.  Yes, I named the tick.

May fifth was a freezing cold day.  I started dropping my brushes because my hands wouldn’t work.  But the painting I did at River Canard Park I’m happy with.

Published! Important World Artists Vol. 1

25 Sunday Aug 2013

Posted by in Art, Landscape, Plein Air, Publications, Watercolour

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I am so GEEKED!!! After a two-year wait I’ve finally received my copy of Important World Artists Vol. 1! Published in California by World Wide Art Books Inc. This is a juried publication. I did not apply to be included in this book. I was invited to participate by the curator! This is not a vanity publication. I did not pay to have my work in this book, which makes it so much more exciting. I opened the book to search for my image and short bio, which I found posted on page 175.

Books are such wonderful things. I had the book delivered to my brother’s house in the U.S.A. to save on postage. My hubby, my sister-in-law, her sister and boyfriend were sitting on the patio. I’d already had the book in my hands for a while. I was so happy to finally have the book in my lap. As I lovingly caressed my copy, and breathed in the wonderful aroma of the newly printed book, I turned the book over on my lap to look at the images on the back cover… and SCREAMED!! MY IMAGE IS ON THE COVER!!!! OMG!!! What were the odds that they choose my work to grace the cover of this incredible book?!

How is being included in this book going to help me?  The publisher states:

Our books are distributed to galleries and other art and photography professionals all over the world. When a volume is released, we start sending out firstly the copies to the participants in the book and then we start sending free copies to galleries, agencies, museums, libraries, art collectors, consultants, interior design companies, etc. ~ FAQ World Wide Art Books

I am so honoured to be on the cover of this book.  Purchase the book on the World Wide Art Books site.

Paint Dexter First Annual Plein Air Festival August 13 to 17, 2013

19 Monday Aug 2013

Posted by in Art, Event, Landscape, Plein Air, Watercolour

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This summer is even more of a whirlwind then last summer.  I traveled to two Plein Air Festivals, and I think I’ve caught the bug.  I want to go to more, and meet more wonderful people.  The artists, and the members of the community in Dexter, Mi are all incredible and wonderful people.

But, what was even more special this time is that I was able to share this event with two from my own group “The Windsor & Essex County Plein Air Society.”  Kathy Hudak and Bobby Wagner.

Edge of the Rock Plein Air Painting Event in Beloit, Wisconsin

10 Monday Jun 2013

Posted by in Art, Event, Landscape, Plein Air, Watercolour

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cropDSC_1642

It was an 8 hour drive to Beloit, Wisconsin.  I left home at 3:30 a.m. in order to be in Beloit by noon.  I just made it!  Chicago at rush hour is a trip!  I ended up at O’hare Airport.  Thankfully, it was not difficult to get back on the freeway.  Finally out of Chicago I end up in construction.  I’m just happy I never trust Mapquest when it comes to time.  I always add 2 hours.  It worked out perfect, but boy was I stiff and tired when I got here.

Beloit is a small town of 30K people.  I have to say that I’ve been treated like a celebrity.  I even was stopped in Walmart by a lady who saw my plates.  “Are you from Canada?”  She asked.

“Why… yes.  How did you know?”

She had her young grand daughter in tow, and she proceeded to explain to the child that I was from Canada…. and that I probably still had snow. The child looked terrified of the lady in the big straw hat.  I’m sure I looked a wee bit out of place.

I’ve had that response from quite a few people here.  I think they equate Canada with Sault St. Marie.   I’ve been explaining that I’m actually almost due east of them.  Their eyes get wide when I tell them we have hardly any snow, and that my hubby’s had to mow the lawn in December.  Even more interesting is that we have to go North to get the the USA.  They seem a bit perplexed, and still introduce me as The lady who came all they way “down” from Canada.  But, they are wonderful people and I’m so happy that I came.

I’ve managed to paint three paintings so far.  They’ve been predicting heavy thunder showers, but rain has held off since I got here.  It did rain on my way here.  Since Saturday, we’ve had beautiful weather.  Just a bit of wind, and a threatening sky.  I don’t mind because a stormy sky is interesting, and a challenge to paint.  Just what’s needed for a Plein Air convention.

I’m hoping that our group from Windsor will come here with me next year.  I’m very pleased I did.

 

2013 Edge of the Rock Plein Air Painting

26 Sunday May 2013

Posted by in Art, Event, Plein Air

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Elizabeth painting on the Detroit River, the famous US/Canadian Ambassador Bridge in the Background

Painting en Plein Air on the Detroit River

I’m very pleased to announce that The Beloit Inn, has accepted me as their Artist in Residence during the Edge of the Rock Plein Air Painting Event June 5 – 15th in Beloit Wisconsin. I wish to thank Nicki Meyer Executive Director of Friends Of River Front plein air festival for this great honour and wonderful opportunity. I also with to thank Nicholas Johnson, General Manager of The Beloit Inn for his generosity.