NOAPS 2021 Associate Member Online Exhibition

I'm happy to say that my painting, "Bear Creek Road Reflections" was chosen to be in the 2021 NOAPS (National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society) Associate Online Exhibition. 

The 2021 NOAPS ASSOCIATE ONLINE EXHIBITITION

Dear Carol Johnston,

CONGRATULATIONS!

 Thank you so much for the amazing and beautiful artwork submitted for the Exhibition. The participation and quality of work submitted was exceptional.  Your painting

Name: Bear Creek Road Reflections

Measurements: 12.00 X 24.00 X 0.25 Inches (H x W x D)

Materials: Oil on linen

has been accepted for the NOAPS Associate Online Exhibition! It is going to be an extraordinary exhibit filled with incredible artwork!

"Painting to Preserve" - The Chestnut Group Art Show and Sale at Montgomery Bell Academy, June 25-27, 2021

The Chestnut Group of plein air artists is celebrating our 20th year in 2021. We are having a show June 25-27 to celebrate. Each Chestnut member can contribute up to ten paintings for the show; plus we can donate one or more paintings to the show - which means the artist’s proceeds from the sale of those paintings go to The Chestnut Group. 

The show is at Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville. The location is spectacular - such a beautiful building. There are 498 paintings hung on the walls. I found out yesterday that I will be working the table where people pay for the paintings they want on Friday night. I will get there early to be sure I know how to handle Square, etc. and keep all the records organized and straight.  

My insecurities as an artist have been overwhelming this week as I've seen the paintings other Chestnut members have submitted to the show. I keep telling myself that it doesn't matter - I'm still learning and growing. 

Here are the paintings of mine that will be in the show:

Early Spring from Murfrees Fork Bridge, oil on 14x11 panel. Murfrees Fork Bridge is on Carl Road in Williamson County, TN. I drive over that bridge at least a few times a week. We often see deer in the field on the left background of the painting, and there's often a log lying in the creek, although it wasn't visible on this day. The leaves were just coming out on the trees, and the field was brightly lit in the background.

Blue Bird Hill Shadows, oil on 12x16 panel. I took a class in plein air painting at Blue Bird Hill farm I Santa Fe, Tennessee. Anne Blair Brown and Trey Finney live there, although I did this painting when I was there for a workshop led by Kathie Odom. The shadows of the trees were beautiful on the grass.

Queen Anne's Lace and Hay Rolls, oil on 16x20 linen panel. This is a farm on Coleman Road in Franklin that I drive past daily. Throughout the year, it provides different scenes. Towards the end of the summer, all the hay rolls will be stacked next to the barn.  Early in spring the ground is covered with small yellow flowers. By the time June arrives, the Queen Anne's Lace, Thistles, and Clover are tall along the roadside which provided a wonderful foreground for this painting.

Wildflowers Above the Rock Wall, oil and cold wax medium on 5x7 panel. This is at the front of our property along Carl Road. I have painting it quite a few times over the years. This year we have the flowers much more "landscaped." This painting was done when the flowers were all intertwined and formed a fairly dense blanket of blooms above the rock wall.

Hay Rolls on Rolling Hills, oil on 8x16 panel. This scene is from Carters Creek Pike in Franklin.  I pass these fields daily. I love it when the hay rolls are fresh and strewn across the field. The field sold recently, and I wonder if there will be construction on the site in the future.

Tennessee Tranquility, oil on 11x14 linen panel. Bailey Road in near Leiper's Fork - a few streets over from where we live. They're building some houses in this area, and so I wanted to capture this scene before construction changes it forever.

Golden Fields of Franklin, oil on 16x20 linen panel. This is the same barn and field as in "Queen Anne's Lace and Hay Rolls" above. This was when the small yellow flowers were blooming and the field were filled with large patches of gold. I used a palette knife to do the yellow. I loved the look, and this is easily my favorite of my paintings in the show. I started this in a class taught by Dawn Whitelaw, and finished it at home. 

Along Tennessee Roadsides, oil on 11x14 linen panel. The Queen Anne's Lace, Clover, and Thistles along the roadsides during May/June/July each year fascinate me, They're "weeds" but the colors are so pretty, that I have taken probably 100+ photos of various scenes over the past couple years.  The Queen Anne's Lace is so dainty and intricate - I just love seeing it.

Bear Creek Road Reflections, oil on 12x24 linen panel. I was driving down Bear Creek Road a couple months ago and saw this barn with its reflection in the pond beside it. I literally stopped my car, rolled down the window and started taking photographs of it, Fortunately, it's a small country road and there were no other cars behind me at the time. Since then I've been back several times to see it in different lights.

Rock Wall Wildflowers, oil on 8x16 linen panel, donated painting. Another one of the wild flowers above the rock wall at the entrance to our property on Carl Road. This time the flowers were in smaller groups. This is one of my favorite scenes to paint.

Dogwoods in March, oil on 5 x 7 panel. We have a lot of natural dogwood trees on our farm; so we named it "Dogwood Trace Farm" in order to highlight the dogwoods along with the fact that we are so close to the Natchez Trace. We even planted more dogwood trees. Each year I enjoy and photograph the dogwood blooms. Most are white although we have a couple of pink dogwoods, too. 

Painting Water with Roger Dale Brown

I've limited myself to one art workshop per season, and I've narrowed down the list of artists that I will take classes from: Dawn Whitelaw, Roger Dale Brown, and Rachael McCampbell.  

During early spring, I took a series of weekend classes with Roger Dale Brown on painting water. These are three paintings I mostly completed in class and finished at home.

This was the painting that Roger demonstrated for us and then each of us painted it at our own easels. So it was a step by step effort.  

After finishing the class project, we each selected our own photo reference to paint reflections. I had shown Roger a stack of about 7-8 photos of water reflection, and he said this one was the only one that was a good composition. The others were pretty photos but there was no movement in the photo, I could see what he meant, but I'm still not completely clear on composition. This scene is from my brother's lake house in Alabama.  It's my favorite painting from the class.  Once I varnish it and frame it, I will give it to my brother and sister-in-law. 

We worked on running water and underwater rocks. The painting below is one I painted based on a photograph I took near my mother's house in Georgia, 

Strada Challenge - Days 4 & 5

 January 4th, I was still on the "colored pencils" train. I wasn't ready to face my long-neglected studio, and so I took the easy way out and drew a floral still life. This is one of those "ho-hum" paintings. 

Day 4 #stradaeasal  #marycarolart

Today - Day 5 of the Strada Challenge - was the day I finally got into my art studio, straightened off my work space, got pliers to open the tubes of paint and used my oil paints again!  It felt really good to paint again. 

oil on 8x8 canvas panel

"Fresh Cut"

Day 5 #stradaeasel, #marycarolart

The Chubby Green Mermaid

Years ago, I saw a chubby green mermaid Christmas ornament, and I bought it immediately. Each year, when I see it on our Christmas tree, I smile. I love it. It is my favorite ornament that I've bought for myself. Of course the ornaments my children and grandchildren have made for me are at the top of my list of favorites. However, as far as commercial ornaments go, my little chubby green mermaid is the bomb.

Really! Is this not the greatest ornament ever?!

So when I started looking around for something to draw for today's Strada Easel challenge, I saw this and it was settled. Earlier I had gone up to my studio and just couldn't get into getting things set out to paint with oils. I decided to stick with drawing and colored pencils. 

Here is my finished drawing - I like it. Of course I see all that's wrong with it - but still, it's my chubby green mermaid - and that's all that matters. :-) 

Day 3 #stradaeasel, January 3, 2021

#marycarolart

The Strada January 2021 Challenge

 Each year Strada Easels has a January challenge. Artists are invited to paint each day in January, post their work on Facebook or Instagram, use the Strada hashtag, and at the end of the month, the company will randomly select 5 names from the names of all the artists that completed each of the 31 days. Those five artists will receive a complete Strada Easel system.  Artists from all over the world participate which makes the odds of winning very minute. However, someone has to win! :-) 

Here are my first efforts:

Day 1 - January 1, 2021, #stradaeasel, #marycarolart

I was at my mother's home in Georgia, and I didn't have my art supplies with me. However, I didn't want to do what I did last year - which was to drop out of the challenge before even doing one drawing or painting. So I found a sketch pad (unused) that I had given my mother a couple years ago, and a pencil. Those were my only art supplies for the night. I sat in a chair in her living room and looked around. A vase of cotton boll stalks mixed with a few yellow silk flowers grabbed my attention. The vase was on the hearth across the room from me. Here's my "quick sketch" of it, with the brickwork of the fireplace behind it. I realized that I don't know how to do highlights with a pencil. A drawing class might be in my future.

Day 2 #stradaeasels, #marycarolart - Saturday, January 2, 2021

After a sleepless night (literally - my car alarm kept going off) I drove from my mother's in Georgia back to my home in Tennessee. I had to stop a couple times to just close my eyes for a few minutes because I was so sleepy! After I got home, I "could" have gone upstairs to my art studio to do today's challenge, but I couldn't make the effort. After a brief nap and a "breakfast for dinner,"  l got a sketch pad that I keep in the cabinet beside my recliner, found a box of colored pencils, and I sketched some of the prayer beads that I have. I've made probably 100 or more sets of prayer beads over the past few years. Again, I learned something new. With oils, one paints the darks in first. That won't work with pencils. So it's more one-tone than I'd like - but I did Day 2 of the challenge, and I'm pleased with that. 

Day 1 #stradaeasels, #marycarolart, Day 2, #prayerbeads

Eight Months of Pandemic - and counting

The "fifteen days to slow the spread" has continued for over eight months now. I have to admit that the isolation gets to me at times. I don't think I've picked up a paint brush since a 2-day workshop in September. And I have cancelled all the other workshops I'd signed up for throughout the fall. I'm just not feeling it. However, I'm beginning to get a little more interested in getting back into it. So there's a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel.

Depression is interesting because I can feel the lack of interest in many things. There's a kind of "what's the point?!" feeling. I get out and go to the grocery store - I drive to Georgia to visit my mother for at least a few days each month - and I see my children and grandchildren occasionally. I miss going to church and being involved with groups - and just being with other people without being worried about the virus - either spreading it or catching it. Nashville's mayor has issued all sorts of rules about celebrating Thanksgiving next week. Thank goodness we don't live in Nashville. Still, our family get together will be limited - and we won't have the hugging and closeness we usually have.

Art-wise, I DID put one of my paintings in an art show The Chestnut Group did back in September. That was a good experience although my painting didn't sell. However, I think only a very few paintings sold. The pandemic has put a damper on everything.

I miss eating out at restaurants - travel, etc. Ron won't go out to a restaurant. Period. I've met my kids and/or grandkids several times at restaurants, and it's really pretty safe. This past week I started going to Pinkerton Park and walking again - which is nice to get outside in nature and enjoy the outdoors.

I looked at this blog and realized that after the first burst of painting at the beginning of the pandemic, I quickly lapsed into not painting. I could not work up any enthusiasm for it. Thank goodness I'm beginning to feel a little interest creeping back in.

Pandemic Painting

The Coronavirus pandemic is in full swing, and people across the world are self-isolating in their homes. Quarantines are wide-spread, and suddenly many people have lots of time on their hands.

I suggested having a painting prompt each day for the Chestnut Group members, and we followed through with it. We began on March 17th, and we will have a new prompt each day for 30 days. Today is day 13. For days 1-12, I participated nine times. That equals 9 paintings. They're all posted below. I really like some of them, don't like a couple, and feel rather "blah" about another couple.

One good thing about having a prompt is that it gives the artist a specific direction for thinking and planning a painting. I've missed 3 days out of the first 12 - which I'm really pleased about.  So far, here are my offerings:

Day 1: "Forsythia"
The first of the painting prompts: I like the forsythia bush, but I'm not particularly pleased with the rock wall and grass. I love forsythia and look forward to seeing it bloom each year.

"Backyard Forsythias" oil on 11x14 linen panel

Day 3: "Free Spirit"
This is probably my favorite of the ones I've done so far. I just like the look of it - and I love Queen Anne's Lace - always have. I put this one in the Tennessee Tornado Relief Art Auction that is currently in progress. I hope someone likes it well enough to bid on it.

"Free Spirit Wildflowers" oil on 9 x 12 linen panel

Day 4: "Complete a painting in 30 minutes"
When we built our farm in 2006, and we named it "Dogwood Trace" because of all the naturally occurring dogwood trees growing throughout our acreage. One of my goals is to do a large painting of dogwood trees for our home. I based this painting on a photograph I took of some of our dogwoods a couple years ago. This is a small study that will help me in painting a large one someday.

"Dogwood Trace" oil on 10x10 linen panel

Day 5: "Being Mindful"
I took a drive and paid close attention (i.e. I was being mindful) to all the beautiful scenery around me. This scene is from a photo I took from a small bridge on Carl Road looking down at the creek. I think the creek is actually the West Harpeth River - but not certain because there are several creeks/rivers in that area and they wind in and out so much. There are some changes I will make to this later.

Day 7: "Reminiscing"
This painting represents "reminiscing" because the sewing box is one we bought at either an estate sale or antique store at least 45 years ago. I have to admit our sewing box is much fancier, but I couldn't get it right so I changed it to a simple box. The pie dish that's holding the eggs belonged to Ron's mother, Lillian. And the eggs are from our own chickens. The cotton bolls in the vase remind me of growing up in rural Georgia and all the cotton fields. This is one of my "blah" paintings. It's okay - but it will end up in my "nice try, but no thanks" stash of unframed paintings.

Day 8: "Nesting"
I wanted to paint a bird's nest - which is a literal interpretation of the prompt. I'm pleased with this one, and my daughter requested it as soon as she saw it. They have a lake house that they've named "The Bird's Nest" because it is small. She has a lot of bird decor inside and said she has the perfect place for this painting. So once it has dried, I will varnish and frame it, and give it to my daughter.

Oil on 6x6 hardboard

Day 9: "The Journey"
This scene is on our property - along the ridge beyond our house. If we continued walking down this road, our house would be a short ways beyond the far curve in the road.  I painted this just four days ago, and already those bare trees have leaves beginning to bud. Amazing how quickly spring bursts forth this time of  year. This painting is not finished yet.

Day 10: "Complete a painting with 40 or fewer brush strokes"
For this painting, I wanted to try out cold wax medium again. So I mixed my colors - 1/2 oil paint and 1/2 cold wax medium. Then I toned my canvas with a deep red paint. I started counting my strokes - using palette knives and a scraper - and then I got so wrapped up in painting that I totally forgot about counting strokes. I KNOW I used lots more than 40 brush strokes, but a great many fewer strokes than I typically use for a painting. This is another of my favorites - I really like the way this one looks.

Day 12: "Blessed"
I wanted to stay on the cold wax medium train. So I used that with oil paint for this one. Earlier in the day I had looked at Facebook and saw a photo that a friend had posted of an American Flag out in a field. I liked the look of a flag within a simple landscape. So I painted a landscape similar to the one I did on Day 10 and then put a flag within it. I like this one, although I don't think I did as well with the water as I did on the other one.

So those are my Pandemic painting - my ChestnutDailyPrompt paintings for the first 12 days. I will make another post later with the last half plus 3 days of the challenge.

And Away We Go - Another Busy Winter and Spring

Last year, my husband, Ron, and I had so many trips planned for the first half of the year that I swore I'd chill out a little this year. I tried - I nixxed driving back and forth to Knoxville for a painting class for 8 weeks, but still, we are exceeding last year's travels. We have trips to South Carolina, Georgia, Colorado, Alaska, Italy - and several adventures to Florida in the works between now and mid-July.

Some of the trips are for Ron to do his sporting clay competitions. He has worked his way into Class A now but is hoping to reach Class AA soon. After that, he will go for the Masters level. I have no interest in shooting or watching other people shoot. So, over the years, we have worked out a good system for going to his competitions.

When we go to his competitions, we stay at a hotel that is conducive to my being able to take long walks and with good scenery nearby for my painting. While he's gone all day with the sporting clay competition, I stay at the hotel and hike around the area and paint. It's a great compromise. We both do what we enjoy during the day, and then we meet up in the evening and enjoy dinner and local scenery together.  We will be doing four of those long weekend trips over the next few months.

I am beyond excited that because of Ron's other hobby - flying his own airplane - we will be going to Alaska this summer. I love Alaska. This will be my fourth trip there, but this time will be different. For the first three days, we will go back to Afognak Island near Kodiak for fishing and painting. Such a beautiful place!  We spent a few days there in 2016 with two of our granddaughters, Lily and Sophie. Special, special memories. Then, we will leave Afognak and spend four days in Talkeetna where Ron will be taking "tail dragger" plane flying lessons - learning how to fly around the mountains in Alaska. We will be staying at a remote place with gorgeous scenery. While he flies, I will set up my easel and paint, and I'll also do some hiking. I'm thrilled to be going back to Alaska!

However, Alaska is the next to the last trip planned for the summer.  Before that, three of the trips are for my painting. This year I will go to Plein Air South in Apalachicola, Florida. Ron will be doing another sporting clays event elsewhere that week. I will spend that week with artist friends improving my art and soaking up the learning and sunshine.

Then I will attend my third Plein Air Convention and Exposition. This year it is in Denver. Ron will fly us there in his plane. We will have to do the flight in two legs - possibly over two days or maybe flying for 3 hours, landing at a small town airport somewhere and stretching our legs and taking a break - and then flying the rest of the way. Then while I'm attending sessions and painting at PACE, he has arranged some mountain flying opportunities.

And then there is Italy. I never guessed when Ron and I went to Italy for the first time last March that we'd be going again so soon. I'm leaving a week before Ron and attending a workshop in Cortona led by my good friend and amazing artist, Rachael McCampbell. Ron will join me there when the workshop is over, and we will tour Pisa, Cinque Terre, Milan, and Lake Como. We will go home via London.

Our last trip in July will be a family vacation to the beach - Ron and me, our kids and grandkids.  I can't wait. That's always my favorite week of the year.

Note: 8/9/2020 - Re-reading this post is such a great experience in how plans can change. Of all those trips I wrote about, only two happened. One early in March to a SC beach - and then our family vacation in July to the Florida beach. Italy, Alaska, Colorado - and the others - all canceled. In the first couple months of quarantine, I figured things would get back to "normal" after a few months. However, I'm beginning to realize that things might not ever get back to normal. It will likely  be a long time before Ron and I will feel okay about flying commercially.  As I go on errands, I see everyone wearing masks and think about how things have changed so much since March. Masks are the norm now. I've personally sew somewhere between 300 and 400 masks - given them all away. Change is always happening. Sometimes quickly - sometimes slowly - but always change.

Paint Us! Paint Us! - a painting by Candy Crawford Day

One of the blessings of getting involved in the art community is the opportunity to make connections with other artists. I once wrote that painting has brought an entirely new dimension to my group of friends. Such a true statement! One such friend is Candy Day. She belongs to the Plein Air Painters of the Southeast and is a fellow Georgia girl. I grew up in Georgia - mostly Rome, but also Ellijay and Griffin. As it turns out, Candy went to the same high school I attended and married the boy who lived next door to us when we lived in Rome, GA. Literally right next door! Although I knew her husband when we lived in Rome, I never knew Candy.

I met Candy for the first time when PAPSE was in Leiper's Fork back in September 2018. As we chatted at one of the PAPSE get-togethers, I found out that she now lives in Ellijay. Our family lived in Ellijay before we moved to Rome. And she is also a cousin of my brother's best friend from Ellijay. Small world.

Besides the school, town and neighbor connections, I saw immediately that Candy is a gifted artist. A few months back, she posted a photograph of a painting she was doing of three little girls at the beach. I immediately loved that painting. There's just something about their facial expressions, and the way they're standing in the painting. Candy explained the setting for the painting. She had been painting at the beach, and the girls came up to watch her and then cried, "Paint Us! Paint Us!" So Candy painted them.

"Paint Us! Paint Us!" oil on 16x20 panel

That was about six months ago. I figured someone snapped up that painting quickly. Then six or so weeks ago, I saw that Candy had posted a painting she was working on, and in the background I saw "Paint Us! Paint Us!" on the wall. I messaged her and asked if it was still available for purchase. She said it was, and we agreed on a price. Since my mother lives in north Georgia, I decided to pick it up in person so we wouldn't have to deal with shipping. So my mother, two sisters, and I made a day trip out of it. Candy recommended a good restaurant in Ellijay for us to have lunch. We drove to Ellijay (just a 90-minute drive from my mother's home in Rome), had a delightful lunch, and then drove out to Candy's house and studio. It was great to see her studio, to chat with her and her husband again, and I loved the painting even more in person.  Here is a photo of Candy and me in her studio.

I brought the painting home and it is now on the wall in my dining room. Next to it is a painting by Kathie Odom, "Homestead Remnants" and below it is a painting of mine, "He Planted Wildflowers for Me."  (I could've moved the hammer out of the photo, couldn't I? Or cropped it out of the photo!  LOL!)

Each time I pass that painting, it grabs my attention - it touches my heart. I'm a little in awe that I own it! Art is so personal and individual. Art affects us based on our unique experiences, thoughts, and ideas. We react to what moves us. Maybe it's my years of teaching elementary school age children that makes a painting of children so special to me. I also know how difficult it is to capture the essence of a person in a painting. In "Paint Us! Paint Us!" the  individual personality of each girl just oozes out of the painting. I couldn't be happier with this addition to my art collection. 

To me, a home filled with art - especially art by people I know - my own art - art that tells a story - art that moves me - is the home I want - and blessedly, the home I have.

The Dry Spells

I believe that most people who are involved in creative endeavors hit dry spells occasionally. The past couple months have been quite dry for me. Dry spells aren't necessarily bad, though. They can be a time of renewing, resting, getting centered again.

In early December, I finished up a class at On-Track Studios in Franklin taught by Karen Philpott. I really like Karen, and ended up with several paintings I like as a result of the classes I took from her.

This is my favorite. It is painted from a photograph that Karen provided us. She had a selection of photographs for us to choose from, and I chose this one because I love the contrast of the cold icy snow in the foreground to the warmth of the sky in the background. In looking at it with fresh eyes, though, I think there needs to be some of that gold color from the sky reflected on the snow. So I might go back and do that. It would unify the two parts of the painting.

This next one is also from a photo provided by Karen. I like this one, too.

This one was done in Karen's water reflections class back in late summer. I don't recall if I've written about or posted this one or not. It was painted from another of Karen's photographs.

This next one is a small painting - from my imagination. I love doing the water and the reflections of the boat and the land and the sky.

My sister, Debi, gave me a photo of a scene from their visit to Greece a couple years ago. I painted it for her. If I had it to do over again, I'd leave out that pier or whatever it is on the left. But I finished it, varnished it, framed it, and gave the painting to Debi. So it's done and gone - with the pier.

And now - this dry spell is into its third month, and I'm ready to bring on the rain of painting. In the next few months, I have quite a few painting opportunities that are exciting and that I'm anticipating with a lot of joy.

Sick Spells and Good Health

Our bad experiences in life provide good lessons. For the past two weeks I've been sick (nothing major) and have been taking necessary medication that makes me feel horrible. So I spent two weeks feeling nauseated and headachey and generally yukky. I holed up at home, for the most part, because I just didn't feel well enough to venture out. We live out in the country, and so I DID go outside and walk around in the woods a little bit each day.

Then Monday afternoon, I took the last of the medicine. I woke up yesterday feeling much better, and by lunchtime, it was like a new day had dawned. The lesson learned: Good health is a treasure. Do NOT take it for granted. Do what you need to do for good health. It was a lesson I already knew and have seen a few zillion memes about, but it was good to get a fresh reminder. Today I'm out walking up and down our hills to prepare for a hilly adventure in Italy in a few months.

And major kudos to Ron for good-naturedly putting up with my mopey behavior and handling most of the household responsibilities the past few weeks.

Note: And I realize that having only a couple weeks of feeling bad is wonderful compared to folks who have months and years of illness. And I realize that my piddly two weeks are nothing compared to what Lily has gone through. I'm just writing about my own experience.

The Chestnut Group's Art Show & Sale to Benefit Radnor Lake

I am a member of The Chestnut Group, which is a group of plein air artists in the middle Tennessee area. This coming weekend - November 8 - 10 - we are having an art show and sale at the Radnor Lake Visitor Center. The Friends of Radnor Lake and The Chestnut Group have been working together for 15 years now to help support Radnor Lake. It's a beautiful natural area in Nashville - a state park - really a gorgeous place. Here's the flyer with the show information.

I gathered my courage and entered three of my paintings from Radnor Lake into the show. There's no competition - no awards - just an art show and sale. There's a long list of guidelines to prepare for the show. Any painting from a Chestnut member that follows the guidelines is accepted for the show.

It's actually my second art show. This past summer, I had two paintings accepted into the Outdoor Painters Society's "Associate Members Show & Sale 2019" in Corsicana, Texas. That show was open from August 12 to September 26. That was a good experience is learning how to ship paintings. Neither of my paintings sold, and so they were shipped back to me when the show ended.

Thankfully, the Radnor show doesn't involve any shipping! I don't anticipate selling any of my Radnor paintings, but I'm happy for the experience of being in a second show - and this one a local one! I'll actually be able to go (tomorrow) and see my paintings in the show. And if one should sell, that would be wonderful.

I entered three paintings - all done partially en plein air at Radnor Lake - and finished in my studio. Here are the three after final touch-ups and varnishing - sitting out with a fan directed at them - drying in my studio.

And here they are after I framed them.

And close-ups of all three:

Path to Radnor Lake, oil on 16x20 panel

A Place to Rest at Radnor, oil on 12x16 linen

Just Chilling Out, oil on 8x8 panel

Update: The Radnor show is over. One of my paintings sold. "Just Chilling Out" - the small 8x8 painting I did at the last minute. I'm a little in shock because my art is so amateurish next to some amazing art by professionals in the group. I figured my three pieces helped fill up space for the show. The other two painting are now back on the walls in my own home. The show did great - over $50K in sales. 

Bradley, the 5-year old plein air artist is mentored by Pam Padgett

Last month on the last day of the PAPSE (Plein Air Painters of the Southeast) paintout in Leiper's Fork, TN, my 5-year old granddaughter, Mary Bradley, spent the day with me. She accompanied me into town to see the wet paint sale at Leiper's Creek Gallery and to watch all the artists that were painting around town.

Pam Padgett, Chestnut Group member and PAPSE member, was painting at the Lawn Chair Theater behind the Gallery. We talked with Pam briefly and then went on to look around the rest of the area. When we walked near Pam again, Bradley pulled me to Pam and her easel. Out of all the plein air painters scattered all over town, Bradley was taken with Pam. So we chatted with Pam again, and Pam asked Bradley if she'd like to paint. Of course we all know the answer she gave - a resounding yes!

Pam lowered the easel, attached a fresh panel, and she asked Bradley to look at the pumpkin on the stage. She talked Bradley through how to look at the shape, how to do shadows and highlights. She discussed mixing red and yellow to make orange. With Pam's guidance, Bradley painted that pumpkin.

I loved seeing the attention Bradley and Pam gathered. Leiper's Fork was full of residents, visitors and artists - and many of them came by to watch Pam and Bradley work together. Many took photos. Yes, Bradley was as cute as can be. However, she was also serious. She was 100% into the creative endeavor of painting that pumpkin. She listened attentively as Pam gave her instruction, and she followed it carefully.

In the photo below, you can see the "Porch Sale" in the background with all the beautiful paintings from the PAPSE artists. The paintings go all the way around the building on all four sides. On the other side of the building is the main road going through Leiper's Fork.

Bradley and Pam continued until Bradley finished her pumpkin and signed her painting.

Here is the budding artist with her mentor and completed painting.

Here is Bradley with her finished masterpiece.

And here's a footnote to this story: We took Bradley's painting home and set it out to dry. We told her we'd like to buy her painting, and she finally settled on a price of $20 which we paid her. However, when her parents came to pick her up, she very seriously gave us the $20 back and took her painting home. She loved it so much she couldn't bear to part with it.

And THAT is an example of what art is all about. It's about sharing with children - or others of any age -  the joy and satisfaction of expressing oneself via art. It is sharing how to look at things differently - how to see the shadows and lights - how to combine colors to get the shade we're looking for - how to see the beauty and complexity of our world - how to look beyond the obvious. Thank you to Pam Padgett for so generously giving Bradley an experience she will always remember.