Keifer Creek

Bare Trees

For more practice with the palette knife and brush, I chose this scene of the creek at Castlewood with a nice stand of Sycamore trees with those beautiful white branches.  It was very cold and this was a good spot out of the wind.  The sky was cloudy so I used artistic license to push the color up to give the scene a more warm and inviting mood.

Along the Creek

6x8

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It was a quiet peaceful morning with the stillness of winter.  This is becoming one of my favorite places to paint.  Every season is inspiring.

Snow

 

 

First Time Plein Air in the Snow

 

It was cold, only in the 20's, but I wanted to get out and try painting the snow.  I had a struggle with almost everything in this scene and had a lot of help from my friends.  I got pretty chilled after a couple of hours and I'm not sure working small helps me to paint faster.  The winter trees and grasses that require thin lines are so frustrating.  I came home and wiped out and practiced on this piece using a palette knife and brush until I felt I was getting better at it. 

 

Castlewood State Park

Along the Trail

5x7

The snow is melting fast and hopefully when we 

get another snowfall I will get out and try again.

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Weather Watch

Changing Weather

 

I have always been a weather watcher.  Coming from a farm family, it has always been important to know what the weather was going to do.  As a former runner,  knowing the predicted temperature was important to know how to dress.  Now as a plein air painter, wind and rain are the things to be on the alert for.  So this morning the prediction was a cold front coming with tornado warnings and wind advisory.  In spite of that I joined a group of others who wanted to take their chances.  We set up around the World's Fair Pavilion in Forest Park and I was immediately drawn to the ever changing sky.  I decided to work small (5x7) and just as I finished this piece the front moved in with high wind and rain sending everyone for cover.  Tree limbs were breaking and leaves swirled everywhere.  Within about 15min. it was over and the sun was out.   I'm glad I went and I think I captured the prelude to the weather event in this sky scape.

 

 

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Prelude to a Storm



Fall color

Paw Paw and Cedars
 

 

I managed to find some time to paint a small 5x7 of another area of our yard that always has a bright spot in the fall.  Fall is my favorite season of the year.  It also seems to be a very busy time and I yearn to be out painting more than I have had time to.  I know that these colors won't last and I'm impatient to capture them while I can. 

Paw Paw and Cedars
5x7
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The Paw Paw tree is an understory tree native to Missouri and has an edible fruit like a small banana. The leaves turn bright yellow and are one of the last to drop in the fall.

Colors of Fall

 

 

Bee Hives and Viburnum

 

 

It's a very busy weekend and being determined to paint the colors of fall while they last,  I ended up painting my side yard where we have bee hives and some lovely colorful viburnum shown against the deep green of cedar trees.  It was chilly out with a brisk wind and cloudy skies, but the colors were absolutely glowing. 

 

 

 

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Glowing Fall Colors

6x8



Town and Country Plein Air Event

A Cool Morning

 

Saturday was a plein air event in the city of Town and Country.  It started with early registration at 7:30 a.m. at LongView Farm Park.  The weather has turned cooler now with a fall snap in the air.   There had been rain during the night and when I arrived it was still mostly cloudy skies.  Never having been to this location before,  I took some time to walk around the park to find a scene that caught my eye.  The sky began to clear and as I approached the horse pasture this was the scene I chose.

 

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Clearing Skies 8x10

 



It was a fun day and there were many beautiful paintings displayed at the reception that evening.  Three winning places and a people's choice award were given out. 



St. Genevieve Event

The Cave Winery
 

 

The sky was overcast and cloudy when I started and I wasn't sure if the sun was going to come out and change everything or not.  I went ahead and as it turned out, the sun didn't make an appearance until later in the afternoon.

The Cave Winery Vineyard



St. Genevieve Plein Air Event

Mississippi River

St. Genevieve county is the destination for this annual plein air event.  It started on Friday, Sept. 27th and runs through Oct. 6th.  The painting days are Friday through Wednesday when you pick your 3 best works and turn them in for hanging, judging and sale.  We drove down Friday, registered and set out for  Magnolia Hollow Conservation area just north of town.  After a short hike to an observation platform,  I set up and painted this view of the Mississippi river. 

Mississippi river from Magnolia Hollow

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The weather was beautiful once again.  A wonderful time for painting and just being out of doors enjoying nature.

Plein Air Missouri

 

 

Chesterfield Arts Gallery Show

 

I am very excited to be selected to participate in a juried show featuring plein air artists from Missouri.   Here is a link for more information http://www.chesterfieldarts.org/

 

One of the two paintings I have hanging in the show is below.  Hope you can stop by.

 

 

Water Lilies at Tower Grove Park

I'm proud and happy to announce this painting took 3rd place in the show.

Oil and Water Don't Mix

 

 

Rain Rain Go Away

 

 

 

For many years I have sketched and occasionally tried painting small watercolors outdoors.  But I was always at the mercy of the weather.  Humidity and of course rain quickly ruins anything on paper.  Partly because of this frustration is why I decided to give oil paint a try.  I heard you can paint no matter what the weather.  If you can handle the weather so can the oil paint.  So I was put to the test on the day I did this painting at Forest Park.  There was rain in the forecast so I set up under a tree, had a small umbrella handy just in case and got started.  There was a light sprinkling off and on, only enough to put up the umbrella a few times.  The rain just rolled off my palette and painting.  I am happy to say that, yes, you can paint in the rain.

 

 

 

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Forest Park Summer



Overcast Skies

Flood Stage

It was overcast and cloudy but at least not raining on this day when I went to Cliff Cave park to see what the river looked like.  It had been raining at least once or twice a week for the last several weeks and therefore swollen the Mississippi over it's banks.  The current was moving very fast and I was lucky to see several barges lined up along the shore.  This red one was last in line.

View from Cliff Cave Park

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Barge on the Mississippi - Flood Stage