Artist Renee Lammers

     Painting a nest with oils on copper is the hardest thing I do.  One out of five of my nest paintings turn out great.  The other five nest paintings that fail end up in a pile.  Sometimes I can wipe them off.  Most of the time I don't realize they have failed until they have dried!  Today I felt rested up ready for a challenge!  I didn't know if this painting would fail or not.  I decided to photograph the process incase it turned out to be a winner!  Here is the first step.  I drew out the drawing with a felt tip pen.  I painted in some dark values. 



     I painted next a cool gray all over the rock areas.  I painted in the nest area.  I left a lot of copper showing through.  How do I leave copper free of paint?  I quickly paint an area and the brush skips over some copper areas without leaving any paint.  I decide which copper areas I want to leave or paint over.  I left the eggs free of paint.  No reason. 



     Next I painted the eggs trying to leave soft edges.  The eggs can be difficult.  These eggs are seagull eggs.  Seagull eggs have different colored specks that sometimes overlap each other.  I have gone back over my dark shadow areas in the rocks and under the eggs.  I have kept the nest simple.  I have learned the nest part can get way out of hand easily! 



 "Nest" 6x6 Oil on copper panel.  350$ Framed in light gold wood and shipped for free!

         I have added light blue highlights on the rocks near the edges where the sky reflects onto the rocks!  I added highlighted straw to the nest.  I added different values of golds to the rocks for the interesting vegetation.  I added a few feathers to the nest.  

     This nest is a winner I think!  But then again I won't know for a few days!  What do you think?  (UPDATE:  I would now soften most of these edges with a brush!)



"Pink" 4x4 Oil on Copper panel  Framed in light gold wood! SOLD 

     I was on a roll today!  I painted this painting too!  I think this would be a great present for yourself or a Mom for Mother's Day!   

     Daisy and Duke had ice cream again last night to celebrate a painting sale at Callaway Gardens!  They were extremely playful after their ice cream!  They were wrestling, playing tug of war, and biting each other!  I haven't seen them so playful since they were four years old!  Now Daisy and Duke are a healthy 11 years old!  I think ice cream might be good for their spirits!  They say Thank you!

    Have a great Spring night!  Get out and paint!
 

    

    I would like to say the trip to the dog park went smoothly with both Daisy and Duke behaving themselves.  Here is Duke on the left hand side making himself look small so he can spring up into the air to frighten two small dogs entering the small dog area.  He ran up to the chain link fence and banged his front paws while he barked as loud as possible.  The lady with the two dogs was not happy at all!  She screamed! 

    I was holding onto Daisy who had to be leashed after three attempts of biting a 15 month old beautiful golden retriever who had a ball like hers.  I pulled her away after each attack.  She didn't like this dog playing with that orange ball he had brought with him.  This orange ball was identical looking to the one Daisy was playing with last night!  I tried to get her to forget about the ball.  She just kept hounding the poor young golden.  Until the last time she nipped him!  How embarrassing!  The man was kind about this.  He understood.  He said they all act like children. 

     I had to leave after Duke kept barking at the little dogs in the small dog arena!  I am sure after I left all the people were pleased!  Daisy and Duke need to be socialized at this dog park more.  It has been a long Winter for them too. 



     Daisy and Duke both barked for their ice cream after dinner.  Here is Daisy enjoying her real vanilla with strawberry swirl ice cream. 



     Here is Duke eating his ice cream!  They say "Thank you Sue for your painting purchase!"  I mailed off your painting today! 



      Tomorrow I will paint! 

     Here is Duke with Daisy sleeping on the couch in the background.  Doesn't he look like he is asking me "Where is my ice cream?"



     Here is my sweet Miss Daisy.  She has slept with this silk pillow since she was very young.  She too looks like she is thinking, "Where is the ice cream?"



     Today I went out to purchase Frosty Paws ice cream for dogs.  I went to two different grocrey stores.  Finally I saw a Frosty Paws container.  They have discontinued making the ice cream in the cups.  Now they are making ice cream bites for dogs.  This won't work!  I need to have ice cream in a cup for Daisy and Duke!  What to do!  I can't photograph them enjoying an ice cream bite!  It will be gone!   I stood there for the longest time wondering what to do.  Then I saw ice cream in a cup for humans!  Real ice cream!  That is the solution now!  Here is Duke enjoying real human vanilla icecream with a strawberry swirl!  He absolutely loved it!



     Here is Miss Daisy eating her ice cream.  Afterwards they both had a sugar buzz!  Daisy played by herself with a ball!  She tossed it around until it became lodged under Robert's chair.  Robert happily retrieved her ball.  She wagged her tail when he was down on his knees.  He took a long time.  They were both looking for the ball.  Duke played some too.  Now they are fast asleep!  I think they really enjoyed human ice cream a lot!  Thank you Scott for your painting purchase!  As you can see Daisy and Duke really enjoyed your purchase!

     We drove from Charleston, South Carolina to Maryland to deliver "Banana Split" painting Scott and Stephan purchased.  We stayed in their home.  They treated us with a beautiful breakfast!  Each made part of the breakfast from scratch!  It was wonderful spending Easter day with them.  Scott has an amazing art collection he shared with us.  I am so pleased he has four of my paintings.  They are absolutely great guys!

     We drove next to John Caggiano's huge Italian Easter dinner in New Jersey.  I had never been to an Italian get together.  There were at least 15 family members.  Four pounds of pasta was cooked after we arrived.  The first course was a lamb soup.  Second course was a wonderful pasta.  After each course dirty plates and silverware were cleaned and the table was set up again!  The third course was a ham.  Fourth course was a lamb.  Some where they was a salad course too!  Then giant platters of asparagus and stuffed mushrooms.  Every thing was cleaned up by the ladies.  The men relaxed, drank wine, and talked.  The deserts were then presented.   Many people kissed me on the cheek goodbye.  John was happy to visit with his family.  It was so fun!  Their food was great!

    I drove all night until 4:00 am until we reached Bearskin Neck, in Rockport, Massachusetts.  Wow!  What a day!  

    Today I continued driving home!  I was so happy to get here.  Daisy and Duke, my two golden retrievers, were so happy to see me!



    Duke is on the left talking some.  I hugged them over and over again.  I kissed their foreheads.  I sat on the couch.  I asked Duke to sit up there too.  Then I gave him more hugs.  He just leaned into me like a person would!  He looked at my face with smiling eyes.  Daisy waited her turn.  She wanted her ears scratched.  Duke laid on the ground with his feet up in the air.  I petted him more.

    Robert came home happy to see me too.  He made a cake for me!  He did all of the decorations on top of this cake by himself!  He never ceases to amaze me!



     I think I will have a slice of cake with Robert now.  Happy Easter!  I hope you have a great night!  Thank you for reading my blog!  Tomorrow night Daisy and Duke will have their first ice cream to celebrate the "Banana Split" painting sale!   

"Along Acadia" 8x10 Oil on Copper Panel.  Framed and Shipped!   400$

     I am now being represented by Coco Vivo Gallery in Charleston, South Carolina and their sister gallery in Boothbay, Maine.  I went with John Caggiano to galleries to look at their paintings.  I watched and learned from John as he showed galleries his work.  He decided on Coco Vivo also.  I helped carry in two paintings after he asked permission to show her original paintings.  She asked who I was, and I joking answered, "Vana White today!".  Then I told her Renee.  She said, "Renee Lammers?"  I said, "Yesss".  She told me yesterday someone came in with my business card and told her to look at my website.  I was amazed at this.  We looked at John's work under special light.  She really loved his work.  She took nine new paintings framed.  John had a disk to give her which had these images on the disk for her to share.  Then I showed her my work.  I had a wet box with four new wet paintings, two were already sold this week.  There was a couple in the gallery at this time.  The gallery owner asked the couple if they would like to see my new work too.  She loved them all and so did Mary, the gallery owner.  The couple really loved one with roses.  She asked the price.  I told her.  Then she asked for my business card.  This was a little interesting so I asked Mary, the gallery owner permission.  I told her if the painting sold I would give her the commission.  So all went well.  She wanted to show my paintings in both of her galleries!

     Then John and I left Charleston to travel home.  The gallery, Coco Vivo, called to tell me the couple came back and paid for the painting of roses.  So now I have sold my first painting being represented in a gallery.  Here is the one that sold today!  UPDATE:  I decided not to be in Coco Vivo gallery.  I want to be able to paint in South Carolina and still be able to sell these paintings on my website.  Coco Vivo of course wants 50% of all my earnings from South Carolina.  I would have been fine for them taking their 50% of what was in their gallery.  I was also selling many paintings off my website of the ones they had in their gallery.  I should have established better ground rules before I agreed to be in their gallery.  Nice people who run the gallery.  



"Pink Roses" 6x6 Oil on copper.  Framed in light gold wood.  Sold! 

     This will be her Mother's Day present!  Daisy and Duke will have 9 frosty paws ice cream treats each now!  They are going to get fat! I will post photos of them enjoying their treats when I get home!




"The Seagull Egg" 5x7 Oil on copper Framed and Shipped!  Sold.

     Happy Easter to everyone!  I hope you send time with someone special!  I sure do miss my family!  Have a great night!

     I am going to paint this photo soon.  I just love this little Terrier's happy face.  His owner said his dog, Scottie, is more popular than he is! 



     Here is another happy doggy. 



     This white horse had his hair braided.  Love these horse carriages. 



     Here is my Duke and Daisy.  They are looking forwards to me coming home soon!  Robert asked me to buy Duke a new bear dog stuffed animal.  Daisy tore his bear up.  Now Duke is trying to sleep with his bear in shreds.  It will be difficult to find a new bear.  I have found Duke four of these bears during the last few years.  When I bring him home a new bear, he greets the bear as a long lost friend! 

     We are leaving South Carolina tomorrow.  We are heading to another painter's house to drop off a painting he purchased.  I am looking forwards to meeting him and so is John!  Thanks for reading the blog.  I enjoy your comments!  Get out and paint!

"Lily's Walk" 6x6 Oil on copper panel Sold today!

     One of my dreams is to be able to sell my paintings off my website while I am traveling!  I seem to be doing this!  Sometimes Maine can be very cold and unforgiving.  I do like to travel South a few times during the Winter.  Here I am in South Carolina selling work off my website.  Thanks Anne!  It was a wonderful suprise this morning.  I really loved this painting.  I know you will enjoy this one!  Daisy and Duke will be celebrating my painting sales success this trip with a total of 8 Frosty Paws doggy icecream.  I will find a Petsmart here and buy them each a dog stuffed animal toy.  They are sweet dogs and deserve their ice cream!  I miss them very much. 

     John Caggiano and I drove to downtown Charleston yesterday.  We walked all over!  Then we drove to Mount Pleasant to see shrimp boats.  We only found four so continued driving to find the mother load of shrimp boats.  We found a nice hot beach in Sullivan Island.  Then we backtracked to the shrimp boats again.  We discovered there are only four shrimp boats left!  All of the other shrimp boats went out of business!  I was so tired from painting many days in succession.  I went back to sleep the rest of the day.  John painted.  I seem to paint for ten hours a day for weeks and then my body just says no more!  I end up too tired to do anything.  So I took a long break yesterday.  I am back feeling spunky today!  

     I will be helping John Caggiano carry paintings into galleries to show them his work.  I will watch and learn how he talks to them.  Then we might paint if the weather holds up. 

     We are staying in Master Inn where the prices are reasonable.  We keep finding places very dirty as they have not been cleaned in years. You'd never believe what we discovered today in the room!  Shocking!   But the room is getting cleaner and cleaner!  We clean a little each day.  By the time we leave this room will be the cleanest room in the hotel!  

     Thanks for reading my blog.  Get out and paint!

    

"Lily's Walk" 6x6 Oil on Copper panel.  Framed in light gold wood.  Shipped for free!  350$ Sold!

     I had a lot of fun painting this painting today at the corner of Lamboll Street and King Street in downtown Charleston, South Carolina.  I set up to paint this street scene but it needed something.  Suddenly Lily walked up to me with her master.  I petted Lily and talked briefly to her master.  He allowed her to carry her leash.  That is when I decided somehow Lily must walk up to me carrying her leash for the painting!  The street scene infront of me was greatly improved with Lily!  I took her photo and then painted her in quickly. 



     I am collecting photos of dogs with their master's feet for a future series of paintings.  Lily may be painted again soon.  I like this photo very much.  



"On Lamboll Street" 6x6 Oil on Copper panel.  Framed in light gold wood and shipped for free!  350$

     I met the couple who live in this house.  I admired this home with the white fence and beautiful roses!  I painted in a siamese cat walking infront of the house.  The man and woman leaving for dinner came over to look at this painting.  The man said he was not very fond of his neighbor's siamese cat.  They did like my painting and asked if I might be back tomorrow.  I told him, "You never know!".  I removed the siamese cat from the painting.  I decided the painting was nice enough without a cat! 

     While John Caggiano and I were painting all day, I met two of my Facebook friends who live in Charleston!  One lived only a few houses away from where we were painting.  He road up on his bicycle.  He is a local real estate agent.  He is a very nice guy.
Then another lady drove up to meet me, Betty, who owns a very nice gallery nearby.  She was very nice lady.  She gave us a few great ideas about galleries and paintings locations. 

     Today we met a lot of nice people who live in downtown Charleston.  I had a lot of fun.  I am learning a lot about galleries from John. 

     Here are a few photos I took today of downtown Charleston.



     This is a house on Lamboll Street.  The sun was bright today!



     Here I am painting at the corner of Lamboll Street and King Street.  I asked a professional photographer to take my photo after he took several with his camera.  See what an interesting tan I am getting on my legs?  Painter's tan.  Good grief! 



     Here is West Frazier and his dog.  I really liked this little dog.  She wanted to shake hands with me many times.  He had poured her water in a bowl.  She was very pleased to be with him while he painted.  West lives nearby. 

     I am a little tired tonight!  Long day in the wonderful hot sun painting all day!  Have a great night!  Get out and paint!

"Pink Roses" 6x6 Oil on Copper.  Framed in light gold wood and shipped for free!

     I walked all over downtown Charleston, South Carolina today with John Caggiano.  We went into a few galleries to see art work.  There are many great painters being represented in Charleston.  The galleries are beautiful.

      Then we looked for something to paint.  John saw a street scene he had admired last month we were here.  I saw pink roses and painted them.  It was not easy to paint moving pink roses!  I did brighten up the center's just a little.  

       One of the best things about plein aire painting is the great people I meet.  Here in South Carolina people are very interested in painters.  It seems as if everyone is walking their dog.  I have been thinking of doing a series during the Winter of people walking their dogs.  The dogs will be the center of interest but your eye will also go to the master of the dog's feet!  Here is an example of a photo I collected today. 



     We are painting again tomorrow!  Love this place!  Georgia was great too!  Have a great night!  Get out and paint!

"Little Nest" 6x6 Oil on copper framed.  Sold today~!



     "Pink Tulips" 12x12 Oil on copper sold today!

     John Caggiano and I drove from Callaway Gardens, Georgia to Charleston, South Carolina.  Three painters are staying here in Charleston so we can paint!  Checked my email to find I had sold this painting, "Little Nest".  Then later in the day, I sold "Pink Tulips"!   What a wonderful suprise!    I really liked these paintings.  This collector now has three of my paintings.  I am so happy selling my paintings!  Thank you!  Daisy and Duke will be very pleased with me when I get home.  I will buy them each a new stuffed animal dog toy.  Duke loves really large ones.  He uses them for pillows.   Daisy tears Duke's toy up.  Last I checked poor Dukes large big bear was in shreds! 

     Tomorrow we will all go down to downtown Charleston to paint!  Have a great night!  Thank you again for the sales!

"Little Nest" 6x6 Oil on Copper panel.  Framed in light gold wood.  Sold

     John Caggiano, Robert Lewis, Hai-Ou Hou, and I were sitting around this morning drinking coffee.  We decided to go paint at Mr. Cason's Vegetable Garden in Callaway Gardens, Georgia.  We drove down there, scoped out painting spots in the garden, and set up to work.  Here is a photo of John Caggiano with Hai-Ou Hou painting.



     John was painting pink peonies.  Hai-Ou Hou was painting the garden.  Robert Lewis painted Fox Glove flowers.  I painted a little nest I found nestled in Jasmine.  It was a lot of fun painting with these guys. 

     At four oclock we finished and drove to pick up our paintings.  Then we decided to go to a local diner again.  It seemed like John Caggiano, Robert Lewis, Lucia deLeiris, and Hai-Ou Hou, and I hung out a lot during this week.  We had a lot of fun.

     I think half of the paintings were sold.  I am not sure about this.  It just seemed between the two rooms about half of the work was gone.  There were still a few painters who did not sell anything.  At least 7 or 8.  Some painters sold only 1.  There were many who sold 2 or 3.  There were only a few who sold 4 or 5.  I think the show was a success.  All of the painters got along pretty well and had fun.  The event organizers treated the painters very well.  I was very impressed with this event.  Callaway Gardens is a beautiful place.  

     Tomorrow I am driving to Charleston, South Carolina with John Caggiano.  We are going to paint! 

"Knockout Roses" 5x7 Oil on Copper Framed in gold wood.  Sold at Quick Draw 2 minutes after it was framed!

     Saturday at 10:00 am the Quick Draw event for Callaway Gardens Plein Aire Event took place.  More than 50 professional and amatuer painters painted within a few streets of the downtown Pine Mountain.  We were allowed to paint until 12:00pm until two firetrucks sounded their truck's alarms. 

    I wasn't feeling like painting this morning.  I was tired.  I went to Sages, the ice cream parlor I painted in recently.  I had a large wonderful cinnamon roll and coffee sitting next to Robert Lewis.  Yes, I did share a few bites of the cinnamon roll with him.  Then I went outside to scope out the downtown area for something to paint.  I was standing there infront of the bakery where I noticed these Knockout Roses.  I decided to paint them. 

     After an hour and a half I was finished!  I had talked to people about painting on copper while I painted somehow.  I was pretty relaxed!  I didn't have a goal of winning any award.  My goal was to sell the painting!  



     Here I am today with my finished framed painting standing in line waiting to be judged.  I was showing the red dot on my painting's paperwork.  Bruce's friend who planted the Knockout Roses purchased this painting for 275$ as a present for his friend.  He was very happy. 



     Then I was awarded third place for the Quick Draw Event!  What a big suprise.  I had the smallest painting.  I wasn't expecting to win any prize.  What a wonderful day I had.

     Last night was the Preview Party at the Callaway Gardens Discovery Center.  All three of each of 30 painters works were hung nicely framed in a wonderful room.  I walked in dressed in my light blue Nicole Miller long dress and was greeted by waiters handing out glasses of champagne!  Then we walked into the painting room.  John Caggiano had won second place for a wonderful cropped white house entrance.  So John was thrilled! 

    I sold a total of five paintings out of eight!  I was able to meet all of these collectors.  It was a great night until hail and wind became so loud it frightened all of us.  Most people ran out onto the porch to watch the hail storm!  Hail the size of golf balls pounded the roof.  They all worried about their cars.  Despite poor weather many paintings were sold.  Volunteers were very busy running from the wet storage painting room to change out sold paintings. 

    While all of this was happening waiters served on silver platers, red tuna, lobster, filet mignon on bread with a sauce, exotic cheeses, champagne, desert sparkling wines, wines, and mixed drinks.  Then the deserts came out.  I confess I tried it all!  It was all delicious.

    After the event the painters went out to a diner in town.  I was too tired to eat or really talk.  But I was there!

     Now we have one day left.  We have to pick up our paintings at 4:00 pm and then we are finished with this event.  I really enjoyed meeting the Judge Stern.  He was very interested in how I was painting on copper.  He told me today the quick draw is a great indication of how good a painter is.  He can see how they handle the stress. 

     Have a great night!  There are the paintings that sold!



"Banana Split" 6x6 Oil on Copper 450$ framed sold!



"Wild Roses" 6x6 Oil on Copper Framed 450$ Sold!



"Carpe Diem" 6x6 Oil on Copper framed 450$ Sold!



"Gunner and Emmy's Backyard" 8x10 Oil on Copper framed 450$ Sold!



"Knockout Roses' 5x7 oil on copper framed 275$ Sold!

Here are three still hanging up for sale in the Callaway Discover Center:



"Southern Spring" 12x12 Oil on copper framed Sold!



"Downtown Pine Mountain" 8x10 oil on copper framed 450$ available



"Pink Lilys" 12x12 Oil on copper framed 500$  Sold!

     Have a great night!  I will sleep well! 

     "Banana Split" Sold this morning!  Last night I posted this painting on my blog framed with six other paintings to show blog readers and collectors a preview of my finished work!  I was on the way to Callaway Garden's Discovery center to turn in my finished framed paintings when collector Scott called to say he wanted to buy "Banana Split"!  I was talking to Judge Stern about why and how I paint on copper when Scott called with his credit card information!  How exciting to make a sale before the preview party.  I had to excuse myself from the judge to write down Scott's information.  Then I went back to see if the Judge was still there.  He saw me and both judges came over to me again.  He asked if I would paint bigger on my copper plein aire.  I told him "Yes!  I just bought a big cargo van!"  He wondered if the copper would be heavy painting bigger.  I said, "Yes, but I would find a way to handle painting larger!"  They both wanted to know my painting process on the copper plein aire.  I was very nice to see their curiosity and enthusiasm with copper en plein aire! 

    All of the painters sat in the foyer drinking tea and coffee.  We were all relieved to have turned in our paintings.  Some painters were going to go back to their rooms to take naps.  One painter was up all night framing.  Another painter was working on getting her rocks right all night long.  I framed my work very early in the day yesterday and took photos of each.  I got to sleep very early.  I am just very excited about tonight's party!  I have three dresses to chose from!  I am not sure which one I will wear! 

     We all went to lunch today at the ice cream parlor shown here in this painting.  Robert Lewis was videoing us all.  I just happened to be looking at the tin ceiling when the video camera came to me.  I was just admiring the ceiling!  Everyone thought the video was so much fun.  We all enjoyed their malted milk shakes!  Wonderful.  I took several photos of my shake.  I hope to paint a nice painting of this! 

    I am going to rest up for the big preview party tonight.  People are going to be there to see all of the paintings!  I hope to sell a few more!  What a wonderful time I am having! 

     "Carpe Diem" 6x6 Oil on Copper panel Framed Sold!



     "Banana Split" 6x6 Oil on Copper Panel. Framed 450$  Sold!  Thank you Scott!  I just had an chocolate malted shake to celebrate!  Daisy and Duke will have to wait for their ice cream.  Robert will have ice cream too! 



     "Gunner and Emmy's Backyard" 8x10 Oil on Copper Framed.  Sold.



     "Downtown Pine Mountain" 8x10 Oil on Copper Panel.  Framed. 450$ available.



     "Southern Spring" 12x12 Oil on Copper Panel.  Framed. SOld!



     "Wild Roses" 6x6 Oil on Copper Panel.  Framed.  Sold!



     "Pink Tulips" 12x12 Oil on Copper Panel.  Framed. Sold!

     Today was great fun.  I found a old fashioned ice cream shopped downtown Pine Mountain, Georgia.  I asked permission to set up inside to paint.  They said , "Well sure!  As long as you stay out of the way of the waitresses.".  So I set up in a tiny corner.  I painted all morning and afternoon.  I asked them to place a banana split glass container on the bar.  I painted it in.  But I also painted in an imaginary banana split from memory!  I haven't had a banana split in a glass container for years.  But it is something I will never forget.  I really like this painting.  The hardest part was drawing the perspective! 

     All of my paintings are framed ready for the preview opening.  Patrons are paying a 100$ price to view these paintings before the public views them.  They are also going to have great food and drinks.  All painters will be there to talk to the patrons.  Last year they sold over 30,000$ worth of paintings at the Callaway Gardens Plein aire event.  They hope to sell more this year.  I do hope so too.  I worked very hard!  Now I am going to relax a little.  Thanks for reading the blog!  I enjoy your comments too.  Which painting do you like best? 

     "Southern Spring" 12x12 Oil on Copper Sold!  Thanks.

     Today I painted with John Caggiano on King Street.  King Street is in downtown Pine Mountain, Georgia.  There are many nice old homes on this street.  I chose this house!  The house's name is "Wisdom House".  It was built in 1912.  Three or four families have lived here.  It has been completely renovated inside.  It is just as beautiful inside as the outside.  

      If you look closely on the right hand side on the grass in the shade, is a dog named Beamer.  He lives here with a black border collie who runs so fast it is impossible to photograph him!  Beamer modeled for me today! 



     I know you would like to see a photo of the actual place I painted today.  I think I did a pretty good job!  The lady who lives here loved it.  Her garden is very pretty! 



     Here is Beamer coming to say hello.  His fur is soft like a cat! 



     This is a ten acre estate home and garden I painted at late afternoon.  I thought it was a public garden!  It was beautiful touring the koi farms, ponds, and paths.  There were many beautiful bridges.  I could have painted here for weeks!  I loved those koi! 

    Tonight I ate dinner with Robert Lewis and John Caggiano.  I admire Robert's paintings as well as John's.  We were talking about how great plein aire events are.  How it is impossible to describe the experience of a plein aire event.  There is so much sharing of plein aire fiascoes, supplies, and painting knowledge.  They spoil the painters with great food, fine wines, and drive us around in luxury sports cars!  The accommodations for the painters here is over the top!  I am really enjoying painting all day where the weather is great, the flowers are blooming, and the grass is green!  

     I wonder what I will paint tomorrow?  I am off to sleep!  Get out and paint!

"Gunner and Emmy's Paradise"  8x10 Oil on Copper Panel  450$ Sold Today!  Duke and Daisy will celebrate when I get home!

     Today was very exciting and fun!  Woke up at 7:00 am and met close by to join other painters to drive to Atlanta, Georgia.  We had a great time on the bus ride getting to know each other.  We told funny stories about mishaps while plein aire painting.  We talked shop!  We arrived at a Catholic Church in Atlanta.  They had Callaway Garden volunteers to drive us to a home.  These volunteers were patrons of the Gardens and plein aire event.  It was a nice way to get to know a patron.  We arrived at a home with a beautiful garden.  The home owners where hosting today's painting of their garden.  I painted with another great painter. 

      The owners had two Springer Spaniels, Gunner and Emmy.  Emmy was a beautiful socially reserved dog busy guarding the home and garden.  While Gunner was Mr. Personality entertaining us with his theatricalness.  Here is a photo of Gunner sitting at the dinning table waiting for lunch.



     He drank some of my coffee while I was out painting.  He loved the coffee.  The owners gave me a box of chocolate and a homemade woven handtowel as a present.  Gunner, the dog, made off with the gold box of chocolate several times.  He enjoyed holding the box in his mouth.  The owner told me they had taught him to fetch so he likes to have something in his mouth!  Gunner really wanted that box.  He showed it to everyone.  We all had a lot of laughs. 

     They had a lovely lunch of wonderful quiche and salad from their garden.  They also had amazing cookies!  While I painted I took a bite of a cookie and it was wonderful!  I had never had a coconut macroon cookie before.  Amazing.  

      The owners of the home were wonderful to us.  They were each very special people.  They had collected many folk art items over the years.  It was great to see their amazing collection.

     Next were driven to another home with a ten acre garden.  I thought it was a public garden for hours until another patron told me it was privately owned.  I have never seen anything like this estate and gardens.  I only had three hours to paint so I chose carpe.  There were two ponds full of beautiful 100 year old carpe!  I sat down watching them.  I didn't know if I could pull it off.  I decided to draw them.  I drew them until I understood their shape!



"Carpe Diem" 6x6 Oil on Copper 450$ Framed in light gold wood and shipped! 

     I mixed a transparent dark green with Gamblin's Galkyd.  I painted the copper leaving some places free of paint.  Then I watched the carpe.  When I saw one in a position I liked, I memorized how it looked and painted it in.  Them I did the same thing again until I was finished.  I put a few brush strokes of a light green on top of the water.  I stopped because I liked how it looked. 

     Last night I painted at night with a book light taped to my easel.  I painted in downtown Pine Mountain.  I drew seven drawings of the shops.  It took me so long to chose one of these drawing.  Then I spent the next three or four hours painting quickly.  It was fun.  The police came by to check on us frequently. 



"Downtown Pine Mountain" 8x10 Oil on Copper panel.  550$ Framed and Shipped for free.

     This is a blurry photo.  Sorry about that.  I will replace it tomorrow! 

     Robert told me Daisy somehow managed to get to a bag of coconut flakes at the very top of a 6ft steel bookcase in our kitchen.  She also ate a bottle full of dog vitamins that was full three days ago.  I was worried about her eating all of those dog vitamin.  She is fine.  She will be extra healthy.  Duke didn't get any coconut flakes or vitamins. 

     Have a great night!  Get out and paint!

"Rocky Ranch" 6x6 Oil on Copper (not finished yet)

     Today I painted with my roommate here at Callaway Gardens Plein aire event.  Her name is Elaine Hahn.  I have admired Elaine's work.  She lives in Florida.  She does many of these plein aire events all over the United States.  She has done many outdoor shows.  So we have a few things in common. 

     We woke up very early, 7:30 am.  I was ready to paint!  The sun didn't come out until afternoon!  We drove to the different gardens but finally decided to paint at a garden called Overlook Azalea Garden.  I had my eye on pink tulips.  I have not ever painted pink tulips or done any plein aire flower before the wild roses I did yesterday!  But I saw a challenge in these pink tulips.  I didn't want to paint anything else.  I guess I needed to paint these tulips! 

"Pink Tulips" 12x12 Oil on copper.  Sold!

     I drew out my composition several times.  Then I started to paint one tulip at a time before I realized this would not work at all!  What a mess.  So I wiped it down.  I did something I never do!  I mix up some of Gamblin's Galkyd with some blue greens.  I painted in a very light wash over the copper.  Then I put different colors down lightly.  Next I started to paint just the tulips.  Then I was painting in some leaves.  The next day they removed all of the Pink Tulip's Bulbs.  Glad I was able to paint them now.

     We painted all day until 6:30 pm.  Now we are resting up.  I have talked Elaine into painting a downtown night scene!  She is very happy about this!  We are going to paint all night!  I hope I paint better tomorrow!  Get out and paint! 

"Wild Roses" 6x6 450$ Oil on Copper panel.  Framed in light gold wood!  Sold!

     Today I painted with John Caggiano in Mr. Cason's Vegetable Garden in Callaway Gardens, Georgia.  It was a hot sunny day!  I chose wild roses and a wood fence.  John painted on the opposite side of the fence, backlit wild roses, and me painting! 

     I learned today that a scene which looks simple may be very complicated to pull off!  I almost wiped this painting off after a few interesting remarks from people.  One thing I have learned lately is not to assume malicious intent when stupidity might be involved.  I just used patience.  I answered questions while I painted.  I think a family now understands why a plein aire painter paints outside.  It isn't to copy exactly what we see!  It is to capture the feeling and to design a better painting out of what we see.  

     Today I was joking with John about some of the worst comments a plein aire painter might get when out working in the field!  Here are a few funny questions we get asked when we are painting outside:

1.  "What are you doing?"  Artist response:  "Knitting"

2.  "What are you painting?"  Artist response:  "I don't know!"

3.  "Do you do this for a hobby?"  Artist response:  "No!  I am a professional plein aire painter!"  They sometimes ask:  "Really?"

     The majority of the time people are very respectful and polite.  I love to speak with them.

     Tomorrow I am going out with my roommate here at Callaway Gardens to paint.  I admire her work.  We might paint at the Overlook Azalea Gardens.  I have been eyeing a small patch of hot pink tulips!  I hope the sun is shining! 

     Today I explored Callaway Gardens.  I really loved these pink tulips!  Think this would be fun to paint.



     Wild roses and a white fence would make a nice painting! 



     Loved these yellow irises! 



     Here is the butterfly garden inside of this glass arboretum! 



    This is a large butterfly just hatched out of a cocoon.  Each butterfly has a different color and shaped cacoon.





     Callaway Gardens is huge!  There are many different types of gardens.  Azaleas and dogwood are in bloom.  There are some tulips blooming too.  I was hoping to find lilys! 



      Here are many White Oaks.  There is a cool breeze here on top of this hill.  There are many places to paint!  It is overwhelming.  I am glad I am here a few days early to explore the gardens.  I am resting up tonight. 

      Tomorrow I hope to explore and maybe do some painting.  At 4:30 a garden tour for all of the painters is provided.  Then at 6:30 there is a welcoming reception for the painters. 

     My room is beautiful!  They are providing nice days of  luxurious accommodations for all painters.  My room looks like a one bedroom apartment including a kitchen, dinning room table, two queen beds, and a large bathroom.  There is even a fireplace! 

     Have a great night!  Get out and paint!

     "Trawling Balls" sold off my website while I was traveling by car from Maine to Georgia!  What a surprise when I checked into a Georgia hotel after traveling for three long days.  I checked my email to discover a client interested in my "Trawling Balls"!  Prayers have been answered!  Driving these long distances has been very expensive.  Running very low on copper panels.  So now I will be able to get stocked up on copper again!  That was one of the reasons I was painting on larger paintings for several days in a row.  I was trying to save my copper for this painting trip to Georgia. 

      I left Maine driving to Massachusetts late on Wednesday night to beat the traffic.  Slept well at John Caggiano's house on couch.  Then we loaded up his car.  We drove more than 12 hours.  We had trouble with our car navigational device (garmin) who directed us to New Jersey's Cape May to a closed ferry terminal.  Garmin was chirping, "Please board Ferry".  Garmin was nearly ejected from the vehicle.  John Caggiano was breathing deeply turning on all of the inside car lights checking maps.  I was admiring a family of rabbits.  I kept saying to John, "Wow!  Look at the baby rabbits!  See they are jumping over each other playing!"  Meanwhile John and I are in our car at a dark closed Ferry terminal.  We were very lost.  Garmin kept repeating, "Please board the Ferry".  Garmin was shut off.  We had been driving for 8 hours at that time.  This jaunt to Cape May took us 2 1/2 hours out of our way.  We were both relieved to find 1-95 again!  

     We found a hotel in Virgina that night.  We continued driving.  John drove most of the way to Georgia.  There was so many changes in highways.  We found this trip more difficult.  We had Garmin.  We did have many maps.  We had a trip ticket from AAA.  Garmin would tell us to turn right at each street.  I found this confusing.  We checked our trip ticket and tried to follow these directions.  The big map I could not read.  The writing was too small and it was too dark in the car!  So when asked to look at the big map I was useless.  Then the big map disappeared in the car.  I tried to find this map to no avail.  Aliens took this map.  John's white paper with the hotel directions also disaapeared.  Aliens again.  At least we did not loose our tire pressure caps this trip! 

     Here we are in Pine Mountain, Georgia.  We arrived a whole day earlier than we were suppose to arrive for the Callaway Gardens Plein Aire event. MY fault!  So we found one hotel room left in Pine Mountain.  The event starts April 10.  We have two whole days to recuperate from this trip.  We are going to scout around for painting locations.  We will paint!  Our canvases will be stamped on April 10 to be qualified for the show.  These early paintings we will do tomorrow and the next day we will just have as a back up incase all of our paintings sell at the event. 

     It is really warm out here!  It is nice to feel the humidity in the air again.  I do love Southern air!  I am looking forward to seeing flowers!   Have a great night!  Daisy and Duke will be celebrating the sale of  "Trawling Balls" with me when I return!  We will all have ice cream.  Their will be a doggy variety, called Frosty Paws!  Thanks!

"February Day on Eagle Lake" 6x6 Oil on Copper  Decided to keep this one for my private collection. 

     This is one of my favorite paintings.  It was thrilling standing on the frozen Eagle lake painting these ice fishing shacks. 



"Hunky Dory" 8x10 Oil on Copper Framed in gold wood.  Sold.



"Gems of Thuya Garden" 5x7 Oil on Copper SOLD!



"March of the Pink Dresses" 6x6 Oil on Copper panel.  sold



"Moonlight" 4x4 Oil on Copper Framed in light gold wood.  Sold! I love the irridesent snow sparkling in contrast with the steamy hot fire!



"The Wedding Present" 9x12 Oil on Copper.  Framed in light gold wood.  Shipped for free!  650$   available

     It is almost Easter!  Instead of buying easter candy, why not buy a painting for yourself?  You deserve it!  

     Duke and Daisy howled for ice cream last night.  They tried hard to influence me.  I looked at Robert for help!  Then they ran over to him.  They howled for him.  They quit after a few minutes!  They have had two ice cream treats each this week!  That is more than most good little golden retrievers get!  Spoiled rotten!   I love them!  

     I am packed all ready to drive to Massachusetts!  The artist roadtrip begins!   I am going to work really hard painting the best I can!  Have a great night!  Get out and paint!!!  Thanks for your comments.

     I drove to Mount Desert Island today.  I took the day off from painting.  When it is raining or foggy or snowing I usually don't paint outdoors.  Today it was raining and foggy.  I drove first to Park Loop Road to see Acadia National Park.  Here is Otter Point in fog.  There were larger than normal waves.



     I enjoyed looking at Sand Beach's white birch trees.  In the distance you can see the beautiful light blue green ocean.  The steps leading down to the beach had been taken out!  I couldn't walk on the beach today.  I did admire the surf for a few minutes.



     I have often thought about painting these white birch trees at Sand Beach.  I think a vertical painting of these birches would be great.  Someone asked me how I decided which shape a painting should be?  Here all the lines in the photograph are predominately vertical so I would chose a vertical rectangle shaped painting.



     This is my favorite Spruce Tree in Acadia National Park.  I have painted this tree two or three times.  I think it is perfectly shaped!



     Here is the surf at Seawall on the quieter side of Mount Desert Island.  It is still considered Acadia National Park. 



    This is my favorite place to paint skiffs.  This is Rich's Wharf in Bass Harbor.  I love walking around inside of this red wharf building.  I feel as if I am walking back in time.  It built with very old lumber.  It smells really bad of rotting sardines.  Your shoes will reek from walking inside.  There are plastic barrels of sardines with salt on top.  Sometimes there are sardines laying on the wood floor!  There are colorful bouys and traps.  Neat place. 



    I really like this cute litte fish shack a lobsterman has built to fix and paint his bouys.  He has bouys hanging from the ceiling drying after they have been painted.  All his yellow lobster traps are ready to go! 



   This is the view from Tremont Wharf in Bernard.  The building on the right is Thurston's Wharf!



     Here is Thurston's Wharf today.  Look at the fog!  I have painted in fog and your hair and palette just gets soaked! 



     Here is Daisy a few days ago after our April 1 snow storm!  She is very playful!  She was wagging her tail.  She wanted me to play with her.  She likes you to chase her and pretend you are going to catch her!  When she was young she would chase after me!  Now she just lets me catch her.  She even acts scared sometimes!  Like I am the boogyman! 

    I am driving to Bearskin Neck in Rockport,  Massachusets tomorrow.  John Caggiano and I will load up his SUV with all of our equipment and drive to Callaway Gardens Plein Aire event!  I will blog each night about this plein aire event.  Should be a very nice time!  Get out and paint!

"Spring Thaw at Thurston's Wharf" 12x18 Oil on Copper Panel.  Sold

     I worked today inside using my computer monitor as a guide.  I completely repainted the wood ramp.  It was not drawn right or painted correctly.  I like it much better now.  The color of the ramp was too yellow.  The ramp's shape starts off more narrow and ends wider.  This is a basic drawing perspective skill I had completely forgot about.  I lightened the doorway some so it was not completely dark.  I repainted the sky so it would be richer with paint thickness.  I softened all lines in the background so Bass Harbor's homes looked far away.  I also lightened one of the roof lines on the left so it was not the same color as the roof next to it.  I am very pleased with this painting now.  I am looking forward to seeing it in a beautiful frame!



     Here it is after the first day of working on location in 30 degree temperatures for 6 hours.  The finished painting above has atmosphere and a great sense of place.  The bouys made the smaller painting look a little tourist like.  The larger painting demanded more dignity!  So I decided to work instead of the clap board textures. 



     Here is a photo of Thurston's Wharf looking straight on.  I thought you might like to look at how washed out the colors are on the building's clap boards.  See how dark the photo looks inside the door way?  It really wasn't that dark.  Funny how sometimes photos just don't really get what is there.  That is why getting out and painting teaches a painter so much about light. 


 
     "Thurston's Wharf" 6x6 Oil on Copper panel.  Framed in gold wood and shipped for free!  350$

     Here is another finished painting.  I looked at the computer monitor and changed a few things.  I widened the end of the wood plank and deleted a stack of plastic lobster containers on the left.  I added a light inside of the building's doorway.  Someone clicked on the light inside for just a few moments.  My painter friend and I both said, "Ohhhh!"  to admire the difference the light made.  Then it was turned off.  I painted this from memory!  It wasn't that hard to do.  I softened any lines in the distance.  I also lightened some of the windows.  I disliked seeing too many window pane lines.  It was primitive looking.  Now I am pleased with this painting. 

     I have just enough copper for my Georgia and South Carolina trip to Callaway Gardens Plein Aire event.  When I get home I will stock up on more copper!  I may start offering copper panels for sale.  I have been asked by so many people.  So I will make this happen! 

     Daisy and Duke had more Frosty Paws Ice Cream last night!  I will post the photos of them enjoying their treat tomorrow!  Have a great day!  Get out and paint!

"Thurston's Wharf" 6x6 Oil on Copper panel.  (Almost finished)  My photo was taken at an angle accidentally.  My wharf looks like it is going to fall over.  My painting has straight lines for the wharf. building  I will post another photo tomorrow when there is more light. I was curious what the buoys would do to the wharf painting.  I decided to cool the wood plank entrance into the green building.  I think this kept the viewer's eyes from focusing on the wooden walkway.  I will do a few more things to this painting!  Tomorrow I will let you see the finished painting! 

     Today my painter friend and I drove to Mount Desert Island.  I showed her the secret Winter entrance into Jordon's Pond.  She was thrilled to see Jordon's Pond during the Winter.  Here is a photo.



   We both liked this view of Jordon's Pond.  The bubbles looked great in the distance.  The bushes provided a foreground. 



     I showed her this stone bridge build by Rockerfeller's men during the early 1900's.  We loved this view too.  There was a cold wind here.  It was very cold.  We thought about carrying our painting equipment all the way to the location.  Neither one of us wanted to do this!  So we drove on!  There are plenty of things to paint on Mount Desert Island.

     We drove to another location she had never seen.  We hiked over a stone bridge to see the sun shining on Duck Trap Pond Bridge.  This is an enormous stone bridge in Acadia National Park with a river flowing under the triple arches.  We decided this would be a huge and difficult undertaking painting this bridge.  We drove on.  It is difficult for a painter to decided sometimes on a subject matter!



    We both decide to paint again at Thurston's Wharf.  It was warmer here!  There was very little wind!  We were happy!  I decided to do a 6x6 painting and so did she.  Amazingly our compositions turned out about the same!  We worked all day.



     Here is Daisy, a wonderful wharf dog.  She is part golden retriever and husky.  Her personality is all golden retriever. 



     I thought about painting Daisy in the painting.  I liked her sitting in the shade in the snow!  This must be the husky side of her!  My goldens would be sitting in the sun and not in snow. 



    When I returned home, Robert reported Duke and Daisy enjoyed their day at Sears Island.  They both swam.  They met a new golden retriever, four years old name Lou.  They greeted him with a few barks but played well.  Then Duke brought Robert a dead seagull.  Robert told him thank you.  He asked Duke to drop the seagull.  Duke did as he was told.  Robert said Duke was extremely proud of his seagull!  What a wonderful day!  I hope your day was great too!  Get out and paint!

"Spring Thaw at Thurston's Wharf" 12x18 Oil on Copper Panel.  (not finished yet, but almost!)

     I woke up full of energy after an all day April fool's snow storm yesterday.  I dashed out the door.  I drove 45 minutes to Thurston's Wharf on Mount Desert Island.  When I started to paint this painting last week.  I thought something was missing in the painting.  I knew I needed a model coming out of the green building wearing red.  I wanted more snow.  There needed to be a type of season present in the scene.  Here is the painting before I started working today.



     See how your eye goes to the dark doorway? 

     So I was painting away when a man came up saying, "A tourist!"  I called back, "Well it is too early for tourists!".  Then I realized it was a friend of mine.  He has been collecting my paintings for two years.   I have always been impressed a lobsterman admires fine art!  He came over to see what I was doing.  He liked how the painting was going.  He talked to me while I painted for awhile.  His best friend came up to drop off some plastic lobster crates.  So they both talked to me about the ladies.  It appears it is not easy to live in a small town.   Many of the ladies are somehow distantly related to them!  It was really fun listening to their beautiful Maine accents while they talked.  I just love real deep Maine accents. 



    Here is a photo of the scene today with new snow.   Here the sun is shining!   I was painting for a few moments when I noticed the newly hung lobster bouys on the green building!!!  This was so shocking to me!  I just stood there wondering if I should paint them in.  Someone had done a wonderful job! 

     I asked my friend to model for me in the doorway.  He was reluctant!  I had to ask a few times!  He said "I don't know if that is what I want to do!"  I told him I wouldn't paint a portrait of him.  I just needed someone to walk out of the building.  So he did this for me.  How fortunate he was wearing a red shirt!  Red and green are complementary colors.  This was just perfect!  I later just looked at my camera screen and painted him in right on the spot!  This is a new trick I have learned lately!  I might want to refine the lobsterman a little.  Not much!

    

     Here is another photo of the scene without sun.  The sun was going in and out.  I would wait till the sun came out and paint quickly!!! 

     Luckily it was warmer out today, 45 degrees!  What a wonderful day.  I really enjoyed myself!  I was happy my painting is turning out well.  All I need to do is work just a little more. I want this painting to be really good.

     Do you think I should paint in the bouys on the building?  I think it is good as it is.  I don't know...what do you think?

     Have a great night!  Get out and paint!  Tomorrow I am headed to Acadia National Park to paint with a friend of mine!

     Here are Duke and Daisy enjoying an ice cream treat called Frosty Paws.  I sold quite a few paintings at the Wekiva Island Paint Out this last March.  So I have been giving them a treat.  I make sure to space these treats out so they don't get addicted to have an ice cream treat.  This last Summer they had 25 ice cream treats in a row.  By day 26 things got ugly without ice cream.  There was a lot of howling going on that lasted at least twenty minutes.  Duke was shaking his ears from the noise Daisy was making.  Daisy's ears seemed to tolerate the noise Duke was making. 



     Last night we polished off the jar of peanut butter.  I let Duke clean out the jar.  He loved this.



     Then it was Daisy's turn to clean the jar. 



     We have snow here today!  I can't believe it!  Daisy and Duke romped around so quickly in the snow I could not get any photos of them! 

     I have been taking Daisy and Duke out each day for long walks.  I painted so much in Florida and South Carolina, it is nice to have a break.  I wanted to finish my Thurston's Wharf painting.  Now we have snow!   Yes!  I might get out and paint tomorrow!