Peu Vieux Vert Renault

6"x6" x .75" oil on cradled birch panel

Click here to purchase. 

 While perusing a weekend market morning in a small village in south west France, I came upon this little old green Renault. It had seen a lot of miles, but still had a sense of adventure about it.  Made it quite easy to imagine a road trip through the countryside, windows open, hair flying, singing at the top of our lungs! (Hey, do you know the words to any French songs?).  Allons-y! Let's go have an adventure!!

Cliffside Sunbathing in Irish Wool (sold) - returning to Ireland!

This painting is already sold, but you might find some other available Ireland paintings here.

So, I'll be packin' up my bags shortly. Pulled the big suitcase out of the basement this morning. I'm trying to decide upon whether to take panels to paint on, or cut pieces of canvas.  I've got a nice roll of oil primed linen, and a friend of mine recommended taking cut pieces of linen taped to foam core board or gator-board to paint on.   It makes for a much lighter load with them unmounted. What he does with the wet pieces on his way home is to stack them, with a piece of corrugated cardboard with a window hole cut out of it, in between each piece...so that each painting is not touching another. When all the pieces are stacked and separated it's still pretty light...but - I'm thinking this still takes up a lot of space in your suitcase AND would cause me to take up more time cutting card-board, just to get ready.   Plus, just looking at layers of cardboard (in my shipping closet) that adds up to a pretty thick stack.  I think my methods I've been using for the last decade have served me quite well.  

I keep the paintings relatively small, 8x10 linen covered panels are my favorite.  I also like to bring 6x8s and 9x12s and sometimes 12x12s.  Over the years I've collected a slew of panel boxes. Various makers make some great sturdy boxes.  The lightest ones are made by Raymarart.com.  Check them out here!

I've been going through my supply of paints. I bag them up in zip-lock bags by color. I have two batches, one group that I will use up first, and if I run out of any color, I carry a back-up supply in a separate zip-lock bag. I try to pack those baggies in between a soft, cushy sweat -shirt so that the tubes won't get mashed or damaged. I pack them in the suitcase that goes with the checked luggage.  I'm taking more than I used to on this trip. I've been using a bigger variety of transparent colors than I used to as an under painting, so that takes up a bit more space. But I'm excited about what I'll be painting this trip, as the last time I went over was 2009. 

My carry-on luggage piece is actually my painting back-pack. Once I arrive at my B&B, I'll re-organize my equipment from suitcase to back-pack, so that each day I'll have my gear handy.  It's usually the "getting -there" that is a hassle (ie- packing). Once you arrive at your destination, the fun finally begins! 

I've got myself a card-reader for my ipad, so I'm hoping to blog via my iPad and not lug my laptop over there! Gosh, I've learned a lot already, just planning for this trip. Now lets see if I can put it to good use! 

I've got a special request already for some sheep paintings! My previous trips over to Ireland have been mid-summer, June and July when the lambs are still fairly tiny. I have no idea what they'll look like in September. They're so cute when they're tiny- yet they can spring up in the air as though they had springs in their little legs! It's been hard not to try to sneak one on board to come home with me. I guess it would be hard to pass one off as a service animal..."Yes, sir, that's my 'seeing-eye-sheep', quite the trooper"! I'm sure I'd get busted in security for that! 

I do hope you'll follow along on the adventure! These views are some of my favorite on the planet! Make sure you don't miss a thing by filling in your email address in the box at the top right hand column that says: GET MY LATEST PAINTINGS EMAILED TO YOU DAILY!  Each new blog post and painting will show up in your inbox each morning! 

 

Summer Morning; Ebb Tide

6"x8" oil on linen mounted on panel

Click here for more information, or to purchase.

Lately we've been having really nice weather....the kind that other places should be very, very envious of. The kind of weather where you can leave your windows open all day and night and be very comfortable ...and it's August! 

So one early morning last week, I planned to get up early and head back over to Barn Island, to continue my quest of marsh scenes in all seasons of the year.  In the early morning, the sun is just warming up the grasses, illuminating them to their brilliant limey green color. The distant tree line is still back-lit, but starting to warm through at the edges as the sun begins to climb it's arc through the sky.  

Birders are out in the preserve, hoping to spot that one particular species that will complete their "bucket list" of birdies.  Another older gentleman walking two golden retrievers, one of them a gangly five month old pup as tall as the other dog. Two joggers light through, seeming to barely touch the earth beneath them, their footfall is so light. And one painter, that's me.  We are the "usual suspects" of who frequent this sacred space.  It IS sacred to me, I love being out there. It reminds me how important it is to have public open land for recreation just like these mornings. 

 

Pleinair757; Crepe Myrtle, Beach Cottage

9"x12" oil on linen mounted on panel

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By late afternoon of the first day of paintout, the heat and humidity were steadily increasing, and rain was threatening. I had a great spot at a friend's beach cottage, standing in the shade.  When at all possible, I try to have a "Plan B" if the weather looks dicey. She had a nice screened in porch where I could have finished painting this view if the weather got really bad. Luckily - stormy weather held off for a good bit longer!

Sunset Marsh, Eastern Shore

Click here to bid!

I have some paintings "in the vault" in my studio, that still need a home - perhaps yours??
                  
             
One summer I was on a painting trip down to Easton, MD. This was a marshy area not too far outside of town where  some artist friends & I stopped to paint the sunset! Man! does the sun every move FAST when you're trying to paint it! But it's always worth the effort to paint from life- all the reflections in the water, that fading golden light & memories of the dusk of that day stay with you when you paint it while you watch it!

Niantic River & Marina, Plein Air

12"x12" oil on archival panel

For more information about this painting, click here, or contact me here.

Every beautiful day that's left during summer, I'm hoping to get out of the studio to go paint on location. This was one of those days! I packed up the gear & headed over to Niantic. Across the river from me is the striped awning of where I had lunch with friends another day that week! I painted this on a Friday, and the boats were pretty active, coming and going (mostly going out into the bay and beyond!).  Some people going fishing, some just cruising, others heading out for a day of sailing.  At the riverside park I was painting from, there were several people out fishing from the banks, some just bringing a lunch to get outside for a short bit, and some just out walking enjoying the sunshine on a terrific day.