The Old Guardian

 Last week,Jan.15, the plein air group met at Edison Estates. Since this group is from Ft. Myers Beach Art Assoc., the Estate waves the entry fee and about 20 of us, got busy painting. I was so looking forward to taking some photos, for future reference, that I was disappointed that it was cloudy the whole time we were there. Also very chilly, with a brisk wind off the Callusahatchsee River. I saved this photo to paint at home and I hope you an tell that I enjoyed painting it. It is on an 11x14 board. These trees spread over vast areas and you can see much of there strong root systems. They spread though,  from roots that come down from the branches, find the ground and start a new tree. Doesn't that Old Guardian look like he has been there for hundreds of years? He has!

                               

A Porch at Edison Estates in Ft. Myers, Fl.

On Wed. January 15, our Plein Air group went to The Edison estates in Ft. Myers. to paint. Special permission had been obtained, so we were not required to pay admission and we all wore tags that said "Art in the Garden". The group was about 18, since this is a popular place to paint, right on the Calusahatchee River. We were all looking forward to wonderful shadows and values on the buildings and big porches, BUT, the sun did not come out. It was cloudy and a strong north wind was blowing. The temperature hovered in the sixties, and I shivered as I painted. I found a sheltered spot on a wonderful wide veranda and started. It was then that a guide came and asked me to move off the verandah as my oil paints might stain the decking. It was supposed to be all the original wood, from the time that Edison himself lived there. I moved off the porch into the wind and proceeded with the work. By 11:30 I was very cold even with long pants, socks and shoes and a fleece jacket. Thank goodness I was done, so I moved to the Gift Shop, where we were eating lunch and holding the critique. They had very tasty coffee, which warmed me up. Here is the finished oil painting on an 11x14 board.

                              

The Shrimp Fleet

I had photos of the shrimp fleet in Ft. Myers Beach, from last year, so when I needed something to paint,  this was the logical choice. I found the boats challenging with their nets and fishing winches, but against the dark background they seemed to stand out nicely. The waters of Back Bay in the foreground, were fun to do and I enjoyed the whole creation. This is painted on a 12x24 inch canvas.

                                

The Heavenly Biscuit

This really is the name of this wonderful, tiny little cafe on Ft. Myers Beach. It is also the name of the most popular thing on the menu, of course, the heavenly biscuit. It is a flaky, very tasty biscuit. Wonderful!!! I wanted to paint this on the road outside of the cafe but the weather here just did not cooperate. It has been in the low fifties, with strong winds and cloudy. Not the best weather for painting outside, so I took photos and worked inside. The 11x14 board was covered with an orange under painting and I like the way it shows through the finished painting. The sun was just sparkling on the two buildings and I think I captured that. I hope so, because I like the finished painting. Hope you do too.

                                

A Cozy farmhouse

This oil painting on a 11x14 board was done with a photo reference. For the past few weeks the temperatures in this part of Canada have been below freezing and there is no way I am going painting outside!! Because of this fact of life, If I stay in Ontario for the winter, I paint from photos. But there is some good news in this painting story. Soon we are going to Florida, Fort Myers Beach in particular, and plein air painting is a fact of life again. I am so lucky!!! Our weekly paint out group will be traveling all over to paint and I will have some wonderful painting opportunities, on the beach, by myself, as well. If you follow my blog you will see the change in the paintings, as the weather changes.

 This is a cozy farmhouse on Amherst Is. and reminds me of wonderful paint out locations to come.

                                    

The Spirit of Sir John A.

                                   

Does this painting look familiar? It should, because a painting much like this one, is on this blog. Did you find it? That previous painting was sold. I know the passage with the older painting says it was for my son, BUT, I entered it in a show and it sold. So, obviously I had to redo it. This is a task I was not especially looking forward to. The passage with the previous painting says it all. I started the new painting on a 22x28" canvas. I had the initial sketch done with the brush and was thinking about how to start the next step. A fellow artist said to start with darks and just stroke them in, even do it with my eyes closed. Well I did. Once I'd scribbled them in and messed up the sketch, my whole attitude changed and I just tackled it, with speed and abandon. As usual I blocked in the major shapes with diluted paint and stood back and looked at it. It had promise. I put in some details and decided that the City Hall was done. I liked the result there, so I just tackled the rest of it in the same way. It seemed to paint itself after that. No frustration and I learned a good lesson. When you start a painting remember what you have been taught on how to paint. AGAIN!! and. AGAIN!!!! How many times  do I have to be told.

                                

                              

A Winding Street in Whitby UK

Another of the wonderful days I had in England, was at Whitby, on the North Sea. This is a small quaint, fishing village that clings to the cliff side and has the Eyre River providing a sheltered Harbour. Many tourists and people living in the area visit for a day and wander the winding streets and prowl on the beach, where you can have a donkey ride. The old demolished Roman Catholic Church ruins sit at the top of the cliff and make interesting photos. Along the fishing pier there are many tourist shops and some wonderful restaurants. We stopped in one for lunch, that specialized in seafood, and I had the fish pie. So delicious and fresh. In one of these winding cobblestone streets we found a Tea Shop and ordered Cream Tea. This means you get tea, and scones with coddled cream. It sounded wonderful but since it was the end of the day they were sold out. This was the Sherlock Holmes Tea Shop decorated in Holmes memorabilia and small little rooms with tea tables crammed inside, among the antiques. I am so glad my cousin decided to go for a drive, across the moors, with all the heather and visit Whitby. This oil painting is 11x14.