"Shadows and Light: Perfect Moment" Pastel on Wallis with gouache underpainting, 9x12 inches.

The festival wrap up was yesterday so I'll post a summary to cover the week, photos here and there, therefore it'll be a longish one.

The painting above was highly energized, lots of interest while I painted it. It was done at the site I chose for my demo site. It's a real nice gallery in Sister Creek called Fine Line Designs and represents several of the artists invited for this competition. It could have sold five or six times this week – from the moment the preview opened at 5 pm on Friday until Sunday.

A very fun woman bought the piece at the preview auction and I'd had a lot of fun talking to her all week long, one of the palette sponsors who are an art committed group who purchased access to a number of extra events where we invited artists could talk and socialize with them.

Beginning on Sunday with stamping and ending the next Sunday at 2:30, the painting was full on, the events were full on and the people were full on...I didn't have time to see the other work until I walked the final two on Sunday!

Sales were good, I painted 16 or 17 paintings, even though working with an equipment handicap from Tuesday on. (Best laid plans.)

Kudos to the volunteers, staff, director and board members of the Peninsula School of Art, this event was incredibly complex, intense and entirely well organized. When the Tuesday disaster struck my equipment and I was without a working easel the school stood behind me and ordered a replacement along with helping me get back on my feet to paint. A really incredible group of people dedicated to art.




"Solitude" 12x16, pastel and gouache on Wallis. This painting was done the first evening and remains one of my favs though you're seeing it here as the photo on site which has shadows of grass across it. There are many incredible painting locations here which I didn't get to yet and will likely return to paint sometime late in the year – both winter and fall are said to be stunning.

This really was incredible and it really was intense – so much beauty and work.

I'll be staying with another host tonight and return home tomorrow. After that more info and photos from the event when I settle back in at home.

"Ripening" 9x12 pastel on Wallis with gouache underpainting

Morning prior to getting stamped, this was a great blue barn and a fun story goes with my working on it. After a half hour, a woman on a bike stopped and we had a fun conversation about this location. She'd wanted to stop and photograph it and always found it attractive. Very fun and interesting conversation, sweet person. While talking to her, the owner of the farm came out and stopped to chat too. All before picking up the bright red t-shirts, name tag and red flag we are asked to wear, display and fly while painting.

Let the fun begin.

"Baileys Harbor"

... and a detail. Initially I was attracted to the clouds, but in the end focused lower down and let the clouds play a small role.



I'm here in Door a few days before the Plein Air Competition and have done a bit of scouting yesterday and today. There are so many beautiful locations here, lots of nature and big trees, but also lovely old buildings like the one that was a stage coach stop, ancient trucks, cranes and excavation equipment.

Stamping and registration begin tomorrow, time in the a.m. to evaluate another site. Problem is that the forecast changed radically this morning to nearly every day of the competition having a medium chance of rain. Weather is quite variable, so much for my hoping to plan out where and what and when I'm painting to make it easier.

The last two days I've hiked a good amount, but I think I'll end up painting near the car in most locations. My main concern is about rain scheduled for Saturday when the Quick Paint takes place.

Here's some of the sketches, orchards, water, buildings that could be interesting for Saturday, thumbnails all, but I cranked out a bunch.



Painting for the competition tomorrow, begins after stamping, noon to five.