Artist Renee Lammers

  "Autumn Road to Castine"  6x8 Oil on Copper panel, framed in gold wood, shipped for free!  350$ 

Today was cold, windy, and pouring rain!  It took me a few hours to build a roaring fire in the wood stove.  I painted this all day for 8 hours.  Daisy and Duke were sighing and growling sometimes.  They wanted me to stop all of this painting.  Day after day painting!  I took them out several times, played with them, and fed them.  I love this painting!  I really love the colors and composition!  I finally painted a road that looks like it is desending!  This is a tricky thing for me to do!  Castine has the only Elm trees in Maine.  When a disease took all of the other Elm trees, Castine was lucky.  Castine was an island cut off from the rest of Maine.  The Elm trees in Castine are tall, graceful, and beautiful!  People put  sheet aluminum around the base of these trees.  I asked a man in the Castine grocrey store why is this so?  He said to keep the racoons from climbing the trees, eating leaves, and doing other tree damage.  Castine's Elm trees are very protected and admired by their residents.  Mainers do have a lot of respect for their natural environment.

Today I took a painting break to read "John Singer Sargent" edited by Elaine Kilmurray and Richard Ormond.  I have always admired John Singer Sargent's painting, "Poppies"   October of 1886.   Here is a photo of his painting from Artrenewal.org.

   Lucia Millet grew a huge rose and poppy garden just for the sole purpose of having subject matter for artists.  Edwin Howland Blashfield described Sargent at work painting the poppy field:  "One memory remains to me of an afternoon sitting in the dazzling poppy path.  Sargent's study was better than those of the rest of us, but he finally shut his sketching easel and carried it indoors remarking, "Well, I'm stumped."  We all followed suit and very presently a rain shower there was. "

  Here is a beautiful photo of Duke resting on the leather couch with his stuffed animal dog toy!  So cute!

Have a great day!  Get outdoors and paint! 

  "Twilight at Jordon's Pond"  6x8 Oil on Copper panel.  Framed in gold wood.  Shipped for free! 
350$ 

     I have plein aire painted at Jordon's Pond in Acadia National Park more than any other location.  I have painted the "bubbles" as the two mountains in the distance are called, in morning light, afternoon light, and twilight!  I even drove there one chilly Winter night to see how the full moon would look at Jordon's Pond.  The moon was not anywhere near the bubbles and my camera would not work in such cold conditions.    The colors of Autumn are beautiful reds, golds, and purples.  Summer brings more deep bluegreens, lime greens and blues.  Spring tends to be browns and greys.  Winter brings beautiful mint green skies, blues, and greys. 

One day during the Summer last year I painted here all day.  I was tired and hungry.  I wanted to wait for  a sunset.  This is the scene I saw.  My camera did not produce any kind of photo recognizeable of the scene.  In the photo, the water and sky were white.  So I took close up shots just of the sky!  These photos came out with a decrease in colors. 

Today was chilly and grey out.  Many Maine days are like this.  Daisy started to growl at me when I tried to draw her on my copper!  Then when I didn't stop drawing, she started barking relentlessly!  She would not have her portrait done today!  No sir!  So I painted this painting, "Twilight at Jordon's Pond"  from many photos!  Guess I will have to find a present to give Daisy so she will agree to another sitting.  Hmmm.  I liked how this new painting turned out.  I love twilight.  I love the evanescent effects of color of the setting sun. 

Yesterday I read "Close Observation, selected Oil Sketches by Frederic E. Church" by Theodore E. Stebbins, JR.  Facinating and entertaining to say the least!  I really enjoyed this book.  Frederic E. Church was a blessed man.  What an incredible life he led. 

I loved this story about Church:  He was traveling to different exotic places to paint before the camera was invented.   Church decided to would go to paint icebergs.  Rev. Louis L. Noble was also along on this trip.  He wrote about Church on this voyage called, "After Icebergs with a Painter" 1862.  First they traveled by steamer to Halifax and then to Saint Johns, a port on Newfoundland.  Church chartered a 65 ft Schooner called "Integrity" just for the sole purpose to paint icebergs.  Three weeks they sailed up the eastern coast of Newfoundland thru the Straight of Belle Island on the way to Novia Scotia. 

When they first saw a iceberg, Church and Noble just stared at this 100 foot tall block of ice.  Then Noble told of this experience, "Church quietly arranged his painting apparatus:  When the fog lifted again, the artist began:  For half an hour, pausing occasionally for passing blocks of fog, he applied the brush with a rapidily, not usual, and under disadvantages that would have mastered a less experienced hand..."

  At another time Church saw a scene and said, "I must get a study in colors, it will take me fifteen minutes!"  Church painted icebergs from a rowboat, with a sailor trying his best to hold the boat steady!   Church suffered motion sickness while he painted in the row boat.  On shore he was more careful and less rushed.  He recorded the eerie light. 

Here is Daisy and Duke today while I painted.  Duke was yawning. 



Have a great night!  Hope you are getting outside to paint!

    "Twilight View of Thurston's Wharf"  6X8 Oil on Copper panel.  375$  Framed in Silver or Gold wood frame.  Your choice!  Shipped for free!  I really love this one.  I painted all day!  I am really wiped out!  But I am very pleased to be able to create something like this.  A little jewel if I don't say so myself.  I worked on this one from 10:00 am till 8:30 pm.  With two twenty minute breaks!  I even forgot to feed Daisy and Duke!  Luckily Daisy is very verbal and reminded me she wanted her breakfast!   

      It takes me longer to paint from a photo.  It is fun and challenging.  It is quite a change for me.  I have been doing nothing but plein aire almost daily for a long time.  I do think it is a good idea to paint from a photo once in a while.  If nothing else than to gain better brush control. I experiment more with different brushes in the studio.  Painting a fast changing light as twilight from a photo,  gives me experience when I am out on location painting for this type of light.  I noticed the colors are very different from painting in full sunlight.  The colors are beautiful. 

      I love all of the different shapes of boats.  I recently learned most of the types of little boats.  I thought when I first moved here,  they were dories. Nope!  There are hardly any dories any longer around.  There is no more cod to fish for.  They used dories to fish for cod. They would stack these dories on a "Mother Ship".  Men would take a dory out, fish, and return to the "Mother Ship".    There are mostly skiffs, punts, and row boats now.   I also love the different types of materials these boats are made of!  Some are metal, wood, fiberglass!  It is fun to paint different materials. 

      Thurston's Wharf is a popular place to eat lobsters during the Summer.  There is always a line of people and  steam coming out of the outside cooking the lobstah!  I do like to eat lobster now.  

  This is Duke laying down using his black bear stuffed animal for his pillow.  He looks a little sad cause Daisy ripped out the polyester stuffing inside his  bear this morning.  He loves to sleep with this bear. Sometimes he just carries it around!  

  I hope you like this blog today!  Have a great Friday night!  Get out and paint!

  "Moon Rise Over Stonington" 6X8  250$ Framed in a beautiful gold wood frame.  Shipped for free!   Oil on Copper Panel.  It was such a beautiful day today!  Such a pleasure to paint this painting.  I added the moon.  I have been looking at George Inness paintings lately.  I admired a few of his paintings with the moon.  It didn't seem too hard to do.  So today I did this!  What do you think?  It does add atmosphere.  My professor at Stetson, Gary Bolding, would be rolling his eyes right now!  I can almost hear him saying something like, "Oh no!  How sappy!"  Ha Ha.  Oh well.  I like this!  
 
     I was experimenting with my photo shop program.  I am going to submit paperwork and portfolio of 4 paintings to the Copley Society.  I met Mikel Wintermantel at the Wekiva Invitational Plein Aire Paintout recently in Florida.  He suggested I apply to this Copley Society.  He is a Copley Master Signature Member.  This organization really helped his career.  I was trying to practice resizing a painting photograph to be 4X6 with a dpi of 300.  I did it!  They also want the Last name, First name, and Title in print I guess under the image.  I was able to create a white border with the information under the painting.  If it is not right they have the authority to dismiss my application.  I guess I can do this now.  I just need to decide which paintings I will submit.  Mikel Wintermantel suggested to send all similar paintings.  I remember Professor Bolding always told us to create a similar body of work.  It makes the artist look committed and not shifty!  Well I am committed all right! 

    Tomorrow is the day I will discover if I was accepted into the Plein Aire Easton event.  I am really hoping to be invited to this great event.  I met one of the directors on Monhegan Island this Summer while I was painting at Fishbeach.  He said he would put in a good word for me with the committee.  One of my new art collectors from Maryland who goes to this event also said he would mention a word to them.  This could not hurt right?  Why do I want to go to this event?  I love to plein aire paint!  I can do this!  I would like an opportunity to compete with the best plein aire artists in America!  The list of great artists attending this event is staggering!

On a lighter note:  The puppies as I affectionately call Daisy and Duke!
  Here is a nice photo of Daisy on her leather couch with her favorite silk pillow.  She is so beautiful!  I could paint her everyday if I had the energy! 

  Here they were this morning doing their usual "Tug of War" contest.  You might be able to see all of the white polyester filling from the inside of a newly destroyed stuffed animal dog toy!  Each morning after my hot tea, I clean up the polyester debri after they fall asleep.  They are 10 years old!  In the morning, for 10 years, this is their ritual!  How wonderful it has been to watch them!

Have a great day!  Get out there and paint!

  "Moon Fire"  2.5X3 inches  Oil on Copper  Accidentally destroyed.  I liked how this new imaginary painting was going.  I had it sitting on top of a wet painting carrier.  I set my Sprite on top of this painting.  It was unfortunately ruined.  Unsalvageable.  The can of Sprite was larger than the painting.  You can imagine the damage! 

  "Daisy"  A pen and ink sketch of my golden retriever.  She was sound asleep late one night.  I had been drawing her for many nights.  Finally she started to growl at me as I was sketching her.  Apparently she found it anoying I was looking at her and looking down and then looking at her.  Too wierd for Daisy!

  "Daisy"  Another sketch of the little princess!

  "Daisy"  Different views of Daisy. 

  "Duke"  Duke really does not like to model.  All of the direct eye contact really makes him uncomfortable.  When I feel like he is looking back at me I look down at my drawing.  Usually he moves off!

  Daisy and Duke eating dog icecream called PAWs.  They were really enjoying themselves.

     I had a great time today visiting with the lobsterman.  He is a local lobsterman who has now 5 paintings of mine.  He came over to our Lammers Gallery today.  Daisy and Duke thought he was super!  Duke laid on his back for a stomach scratch.  Daisy liked a hug.  Later when I was showing the lobsterman paintings, Daisy wanted to see too, stuck her head between the lobsterman's legs!  I was looking at the painting I was holding and then I saw Daisy doing this!  Shocking behavor in the Gallery!  I only hope other customers think this is as funny as the lobsterman did!  Daisy was wagging her tail having the time of her life with all the attention!  She just stood there looking at us.  Finally she walked off. The lobsterman has a new painting for his collection.  We made a special deal with cash and lobsters!  I am loving Maine!  So nice to sell another painting!  I need to work on Daisy's etiquette! 

  "Icy River" 2.5X3 inch Miniature framed in an exquisite gold wood!  100$ 

     I was very amazed at Mikel Wintermantel, a Copley Master, who painted at the Wekiva Invitational Plein Aire Paintout.  He was able to make up imaginary scenes for paintings.  One night he was painting with Sarah Winters, and Mitch Kolbe.  They were all painting the moon although the moon had not yet materialized!  I was waiting for the moon and then I was going to find a good spot to paint.  They were all busy painting the moon without a moon.  I was pretty amazed!  Mikel was painting three different moon painting miniatures all at once.  He was using small clips to secure them to his easel.  He had the moon in different places in each painting. 

     I saw Mikel painting again the next day.  He was making up several paintings very quickly.  He was using a rigger brush.  I asked him how he learned to do this.  He suggested I purchase an out of print book called,  "Close Observation selected sketches of Fredrick Churchill by Theodore E. Stebbins.   So I did order this book. 

     Today was raining and cold and gray!  Not a good day at all for plein aire.  Spring here brings many of these days.  I decided to paint "Icy River" a creation literally of mine.  I completely made up this scene.  It was fun to do. 

     Stapleton Kearns recently painted a perfect seascape from using his imagination.  It was a beautiful painting.  I guess many artists do this!  These paintings look very realistic too!  

     I saw a groundhog yesterday.  At least I think I saw a groundhog.  I am new to Maine so it may be a beaver.  Let me know if is. 

Have a great night and I do hope you get outside and paint!

  "Duke Asleep"  8X10 Oil on Copper 

     Today I was sitting infront of my easel inside of my house.  I was looking through photos when I looked up to see Duke asleep!  He looked so beautiful sleeping.  I decided he would be great to paint.  So much better than painting from a photo!  I hardly ever paint from photos but I considered this instead of painting outside while it was sleeting!  I drew Duke on my copper panel with a fine tip felt pen.  He was sound asleep.  Perfect.  I mixed up the colors of his fur next.  I decided to focus on his face which is the most important and difficult area!  I did Duke's nose four times.  He has a distinctive nose.  It was black when he was born but later changed to pink later.  I was finishing up when he looked up to see me staring at him.  He didn't like this.  He decided to go sleep in the other room.  Duke is a difficult dog to paint.  He doesn't like to be a model.  The direct eye contact worries him.  He always moves!  Daisy has been painted more because she loves to be a model! 

     Yesterday was a beautiful Spring Day here in Maine.  It was sunny and 67 degrees.  I took Daisy and Duke to Four Point State Park.  There is a lighthouse and bell tower there.  We walked around.  Daisy was off leash.  She usually keeps right by me.  We went to the beach area.  It was low tide.  Here is a photo of them in the clear cool water.  Beautiful!

  I was taking a few photos of them.  I looked over at the silver bridge in the distance.  Then I looked over at Daisy and Duke.  They were gone!  Gone!  I looked around the beach.  I didn't see them.  Vanished!  It was low tide and so the only place they could have ran was a narrow passage to the cliff area!  I ran there.  There was a small area of seaweed on rocks I had to carefully walk on.  It was slippery.  There was a cliff to my right that when up into the air 50 ft or so.  I walked on this cat walk area that started to rise above the ocean.  I could see Daisy and Duke way up high.  They had climbed rocks and were assending up this rock wall above the sea. 

  Here is Daisy coming back down to me.  Duke was still behind here looking at something in a big hole.  He fell in and had to scramble with his front leggs to not go down into the hole.  I was able to leash up Daisy.  I was screaming at Duke to come.  FOrget this!  But finally he did come to me.  I leashed him up.  I let Daisy go down first.  These dog leashes are short.  Making the desent treacherous.  We made it safely to the car. 

     Then I decide to open up the front door to air out the house.  Robert has been painting the Gallery walls.  The paint fumes were still strong.  I made sure Daisy and Duke were in the sunroom with the french doors closed.  When I returned from being upstairs, Daisy was outfront on the porch looking at the heavy traffic!  I grabbed her and locked the doors!  Duke was still sleeping in the sunroom!  He is the one who is the runner!  Daisy usually won't run out into traffic.  Duke though may have darted in and out of the cars!  Luckily he didn't escape.  Our house is located on US Route 1.  15,000 cars a day go by our house.  I always have the dogs safely on a leash.  What a frightening day for Daisy and Duke!  Gee Wiz!  I was so stressed out I didn't paint yesterday.

       It is very fitting Duke would be the model today.  He is ten years old.  Duke has saved my life at least two different times.  I took him to New Smynra Dunes in Florida.  He wouldn't let me go into the ocean.  He tried to sit on me a few times.  I tried to walk to the water, and he would block me!  I nearly fell over him one time.  He was persistent.  I thought he wanted to go to McDonalds early for a hamburger treat.  This was a regular thing for us to go to McDonalds after the beach.  When I returned home, the news announced New Smynra Dunes beach was closed for rip tides.  Still another day, Duke saw a rottiweller come running at me.  He blocked the dog from attacking me.  Both Daisy and Duke ran and blocked him.  He turned and ran away!  Guess he was afraid of two scarey golden retrievers?  Unlikely? I think they would have fought with all of their strength!

  "Down at Thurlow's Wharf"  8X10 Oil on Copper.   SOLD!  YEah!  Today was a ten!  I drove to Mount Desert Island over to Bass Harbor.  I called my lobsterman friend to ask permission to paint at his wharf.  He drove over to say hello.  I met his 81 year old father.  They were down at the wharf getting the father's lobsterboat ready.  His dad still fishes for lobster.  It was pretty amazing listening to them talk.  They all have a thick Maine accent.  There were some new words being used today.  I would need a tape recorder to even be able to repeat a few of these words.   They told me about a man who was caught on video camera stealing fish bait!  Stealing is unusual in Maine.  Most Mainers will say the thief must have been on hard times.  In Florida they would not be as forgiving of a thief.  I have seen Mainers on the news after a bank robbery talk about how this person must have been hungry!  Hungry?  This is a very nice attitude Mainers have concerning thieves.  They are very kind people.  Very honest too.

  Here is a photo of my painting on my easel at the wharf.  I should have moved that metal cart infront of me.  I am still very exhausted from driving from Florida to Maine.  I probably should have stayed home today.  I really missed being near the wharfs.  It was great listening to the noises of seagulls and lobsterboats.  I also really enjoy the fresh salt air.  Luckily there was no rotting sardines at this wharf.  Usually wharfs can smell pretty ripe.

I was reading a Ruth Moore book this Winter.  Ruth Moore lived in Bass Harbor, Maine and wrote great stories of Maine.  I learned from her book , women would never be seen down at a wharf.  First of all, their long dresses might get into the lobster bait, the rotten sardines on the wharf.  Second of all, lobstermen would cuss.  They would tell their son to run down to the wharf to give a message to their husband there.  I find it exciting I can paint at the wharf!  It is interesting less than 50 years ago women would never ever be seen at the wharf!  Very unladylike!  Ha Ha  I enjoy this so much for some strange reason. 

Have a great night!  Get out there and paint!

  "Three Canoes at Wekiwa Springs" 8X10 Oil on Copper  Sold at the Gala event to a nice couple, a pilot and spa owner!  They were so pleased with this painting as it reminded them of their first date canoeing there.  I gave them a high five!  So good to sell paintings!  I was so excited to actually sell any paintings in Florida at all!  Florida economy has been very bad.  My excitement over the sale created more excitement to new art collectors around me.  This excitement further prompted this couple to buy yet another painting!  She also gave me a full day at her spa!  I recieved a massage, pedicure, and facial!  Beautiful gift I really appreciated!  After these two sales, my best friend decided to jump into the excitement and purchased a painting too!  Wow!  I was literally hopping up and down from this!  I was stapling giant green sold stickers all over my walls!  Not only was I making money for a worthy charity called "Friends of Wekiva", I was making money to pay for gas, tolls, and hotels for the ride back to Maine!  I am slightly embarrassed at how excited I was after all three of these sales!  I have no self control sometimes! 

  "Canoe at Wekiwa Springs"  8X10 Oil on Copper.  I painted this painting at the canoe launch after the plein aire event was over.  I could not help but paint all day!  Beautiful weather and beautiful river.  I asked the canoe launch worker if I might set up a canoe for myself to paint!  I should have done this at the event.  It was great painting with my feet soaking in the springs while I painted.  
 
  "Henry's Habitat"  8X10 Oil on Copper.  I painted this painting standing on Boy scout bridge in Wekiva Springs the last day of the plein aire event.  I had a fun time telling people about "Henry" the blue heron who hangs out each morning and eats lots of cat fish.  The park ranger told me all about "Henry" as he is affectionately called.   Henry's grandfather is stuffed and displayed at the Wekiva Springs museum explained the park ranger.  Since Henry had flown away, the park ranger asked me if he could bring out the stuffed grandfather to model.  He even radioed the Museum to ask if this might be possible.  Henry was missing out on his day to be immortalized and the park ranger felt it would be acceptable to get the grandfather!  Ha Ha  I laughed too hard at this idea.  I must have been tired and sick from not being able to sleep in my 40 degree cabin for 7 days.  I think I did a great job on Henry.  I did make Henry slimmer.  Henry was extremely well fed and it looked unrealistic to paint him as he was.  Henry was fat.

  "Five Canoes at Wekiwa Springs"  8X10 Oil on Copper.  I painted this painting after the Wekiva Springs Paintout.  It was just too beautiful of a day not to return and paint all day.  First I painted "Canoe at Wekiva Springs"  and then I stood on Boy Scout Bridge the rest of the day to paint this one.  Quite a workout carrying seventy pounds of painting equipment.  I tell people this carrying my art equipment to my painting location is the hardest part of painting for me!  The wind was picking up by the end of the day and I had to grab a hold of my umbrella as I finished this painting!  All part of a good day's work.  A young boy came up to tell me I was really good artist.  It was at that moment I realized I am a really good artist!  Kids never lie. 

  "Good Pickin's"  2.5 inches X 3 inches  Oil on Copper.  I painted this minature oil painting of a white ibis during the paint out.  I use a really small brush to paint this small called a rigger.  Many people ask me about this particular brush.  It is a watercolor brush with long hair but very few hairs.  I find I can really draw well with oil paint using this brush.  At the plein aire event I saw many other great artists also using a rigger brush.  My Mom told me later, Bob Ross used a rigger brush too.  That explains it all. 

  "Homer's Habitat"  3X4 Oil on Copper  Sold.  I painted this at my friends property after the paintout.  Homer is her new horse who is twenty years old.  She purchased Homer for 400$ from a Horse Rescue place.  Homer has two absessed front feet I helped her soak in warm epsom's salt.  Homer asked me to tell her to read a book about horses.  She is now reading this book.  She is learning all about how to take care of Homer.  Homer is a cowboy horse and only likes carrots.  Cowboys don't feed their horses apples but instead carrots.  I asked my friend how many carrots Homer can have a day.  She didn't know yet, but Homer was eating a 5 pound bag a week.  She was also feeding Homer fancy food he loves.  Homer came running to the barn when she was dishing out his food.  He also was getting molasses and pain medication for his sore feet.  Homer is really easy to paint.  He doesn't really move much because of his sore feet and pain medicine.  A perfect model.  I had a great day painting with my friend.  She fed me too!  Not carrots!

Have a great night and get outside and paint!

  Here is Mitch Kolbe painting the Wekiva River by moonlight!  He was one of the amazing artists at the Wekiva Invitational Plein aire Paintout.  A group of artists decided to paint the moon at Wekiva Island, a nightclub open only till 10:00pm right on the Wekiva River.  They had gas fire lanterns near us to keep the artists warm who were painting at night!  It was probably about 40 degrees this night we all were inspired to paint the moon.  I didn't paint the moon that night.  I was more interested in watching Mich Kolbe paint.  I walked with him to the edge of the river.  He studied the light and shapes.  I noticed the water was only a half value darker than the sky at night.  He walked to his easel located by the nightclub hundreds of yards away and he painted what he had seen down by the river.  I had never done this before.  I would paint usually what I saw infront of me.  This was new territory.  I watched closely.  He was painting feverishly.  Very dark tones of blues and purples he scrumbled around.  He finished fairly quickly.   The moon was not even up in the sky yet.  Several artists were painting away.  As the moon rose into the sky, Mitch took a finger full of white paint and touched in into his water.  He didn't paint the moon in the sky, just painted with his finger the moon in the river.  The reflection of the moon in the river was his center of interest.  If he had painted both the moon in the sky and the reflection of the moon, he would have had two separate centers of interest.  This would have created a situation where the viewer would be looking up at the sky then down in the river at the moon, back and forth, not good.  Mitch was smart in painting only one moon.  I learned something at that moment.  I am not sure if I would have painted two moons in a night painting or not.  I certainly would not do two moons now!  The next day I saw a man admiring Mitch's painting of the moon and I shared the story I just wrote here.  He purchased Mitch's painting later for 1200$.  Good job Mitch!  I agreed with this art collector this painting was a beauty.

  Here is Mikel Wintermantel of New York and Sara Winters of Texas painting the moon the same night as Mitch.    Sarah was using more purples and lavenders.  Mikel was using a luminous technique.  He was making many small minatures with the full moon in the sky.  I was very content not painting but learning from these amazing artists! 


  Here is Stewart Jones a watercolorist from Florida.  He was on Wekiwa Spring's Boyscout bridge painting away when a few female turkeys started walking up to him.  He was not aware at first they were approaching him!  I walked up and took a few photos!  So funny!  He finally turned around and watched in wonder as they finally one by one flew away!  Here is a nice tom turkey I saw earlier that day. 

Mikel Wintermantel, a Copley Master, had a armodillo run into his easel while he was painting.  He said he saw the armodillo eating and walking.  They do not see well.  He yelled out "armodillo!  armodillo!" inhopes of alerting the animal he was present painting!  But the armodillo just continued on until he ran into Mikel's easel.  Then of course the armodillo ran off fightened out of his head I am sure.  Here is a nice looking armodillo I saw before sunset while I was nearby painting.  He didn't run into my easel.  I guess he learned from experience not to do this! 

I had several vultures watching me in trees above me while I painted.  At first there were only twenty vultures.  I was coughing a lot from getting a bad chest cold!  I noticed more and more vultures were gathering.  Soon I was getting a little worried.  The more I was coughing, the more the vultures appeared.  I guess they knew I was a sick starving artist!  I did a few high kicks to let them know I had still some life left in me.  Then they flew off eventually!  They are large and ugly!  There must have been a hundred easy watching me paint.  Unnerving!     Here is one who was really close to me! 

  I like this photo of me painting at the Wekiwa Springs canoe launch.  I painted here more than other areas.  I loved the lighter colors of the river here!  I loved the canoes!  I remember swimming here as a young girl.  Nice being back in Florida. 

  This is a photo of my Mom and I at the Wekiwa Springs Gala event.  The great part of being at this event was spending time again with my parents.  I love living in Maine.  I do miss my Mom and Dad very much.  I was able to stay at their house before and after the paintout.  We went to Museums and did lunch.  We watched TV together at night and talked.  I am lucky to have such great parents. 

Hope you enjoyed my blog today.  Have a great day!  Get outside and paint!

  This is a photo of me painting on "boyscout bridge" at Wekiwa Springs State Park during the Invitational Plein Aire Paintout!  I had the time of my life at this week long paintout!  I was really impressed with the quality of artists invited!  I was painting next to some of my favorite artists.  The director Leslie Long spoiled us rotten with great food and drinks.  Everything was very organized and first class!  There were dinner parties especially for the artists almost each night.  The beautiful Wekiva river was a delight to paint each day.  The weather was unusually cold at night in the 40's and 50's by day!  I found myself wearing my Maine down jacket each night and some days!  Here are some of the paintings I created during this great event.  Friends of the Wekiva recieved 50% of my painting sales.  I was pleased to sell 3 paintings at their Gala evening event.  I donated two other paintings to this event. 

  "Wekiva River"  8X10 Oil on Copper was sold to a special friend of mine for her Florida Women's Art Museum.  The painting was completed the Thursday I arrived in Florida.  I thought it was a good idea to start painting as soon as I arrived.  I wanted to get into painting greens again after many months of painting snow in Maine!  I was very happy to see my parents.  I think my happiness showed in this painting. 

  "Lazy Days on the Wekiwa River"  8X10 Oil on Copper sold the next day after the event.  I had met this new art collector while painting on the boyscout bridge.  This was one of my favorite paintings completed at the event.  I remember swimming here when I was a youngster.  The Wekiwa Springs has beautiful white sand and green water!

  "Mr. Blue" is a minature oil on copper only 2.5 X 3 inches!  Blue is a popular bird who is a regular living near Wekiva Island.  I met him the first day I was out painting.  He came up close to me, looked at some minnows, and talked about it.  He was very tame!  I painted him many times during the event. 

  "Stormy Day at the Wekiva River"  11X14 Oil on copper.  This painting was donated to Leslie Long, director of the event.  I wanted to show my appreciation for her hard work.  I did get to spend sometime with this really nice lady.  She was very level headed and patient with all of us artists!  I admired this!  She was also very prepared and proactive!  Once I was lost and before I called her to ask for directions, she heard I had lost the six different cars going to a painting location.  A non artist car had jumped inbetween the car I was following.  I followed this car into a high security estate gated communtiy!  I realized what had happened after I was sitting out front of this person's mansion!  Ha Ha.  I then was sitting there wondering where the artists went when Leslie called to give me directions!  I was very tired from trying to sleep in 40 degree cabin without heat! 

  These are all of my paintings I completed during the Wekiva Invitational Plein Aire Paintout.  I believe I completed 14 paintings.  I sold 5 paintings total during my Florida visit.  Two will be in a new museum not yet open!  I helped two other artists sell two of their paintings as well.  I saw a man who has the largest collection of Florida art looking at a painting I also loved.  I told him the story of watching the painting being created!  Another time I explained to a lady what a "Copley Master" was and after this she purchased one of this artist's work. 

Tomorrow I will share stories of animals who seemed  to be around while I painted!  Great photos of these animals!  Have a great night and get out there and paint!