Artist Renee Lammers

   I drove an hour to Thondike, Maiine to visit our friend Ted.  I brought Lady Violet.

Lady Violet does not ride in the car well.   Every single turn made Lady Violet lunge out

with her front feet to steady herself.  Once she grabbed the steering wheel by accident and pulled

the car off the road!  I had to pull her front leg out of the steering wheel to make the car get

back on the road.  Once Lady Violet put her front feet on my head when we rounded one corner.

There are a lot of twists and turns to drive to Thorndike.  I almost turned the car around after

driving off the road.  It was a long crazy drive to visit Ted.  I can see why Robert has a wooden wire

barrier in his SUV to keep Lady Violet away from the driver.  The drive home was much better.  

  Lady Violet and I walked with Ted in the woods.  He was so happy to see Lady Violet again.

I had not seen Lady Violet that happy in a long time. She missed Ted.  Ted is usually fun.

He is a very good conversationalist.  He always asks interesting questions and never expects

anyone to carry the whole entire conversation!  When Ted asks a question it seems like there is

always another question about the answer. He knows a lot about many things.  We always have

dogs to talk about.  I will miss my friend Ted this Winter. I will call him regularly to check on him.

   We didn't walk as far as we use to walk years ago.  Ted had not cleared

the fallen trees.  He let them block the paths.  

   In Brook, Maine I saw this beautiful wooden bridge.  I took a few photos.

   I have been given a painting commission, 14x20, figures in a landscape.  I am excited

to work on the painting once I am in Ocklawaha, Florida.  I took some photos of the people

today. Good night.  Thank you for the commission.

   I started painting plein air (outside) in 2005 with oils.  I chose 3/4 inch birchwood as my 

substrate. I gessoed the birchwood five times and sanded in between the layers.  The surface of

the birchwood was like an egg shell.  I had commercial sized saws to cut the panels.  It was

a very archival but labor intensive substrate.  This is a photo Robert took in Oviedo, Florida.

My friend and I used a large wagon to load all kinds of studio oak easels and chairs, ice chest,

and large umbrellas to hike along the Old Florida Trail to the Little Econohatchee River.  I had

studio experience at the time.  I had painted in watercolor plein air before but never oils.  

I remember that day was 98 degrees but those large umbrellas from Costco reduced temperatures

to 80s.  It was a nice day under the umbrellas painting.  I remember we sat very close to each other

in case an alligator or snake came upon us!  

   It takes many years to develop plein air skill.  The plein air workshops I took were fun but

they also helped me learn how to paint outside.  Every teacher had a different technique but

that was ok because later I used a little information from each teacher and developed what worked for me.

I met many artists at these plein air workshops.  

   The funniest thing about this photo is where I am placing my feet!  I have both my feet on

the oak ledge of the studio easel.  My painter friend was doing the same thing.  I remember

we were very worried about large alligators and snakes, but nothing ever happened to us.

   I am packing up my possessions here in Maine.  It is taking a lot of time!  I will be back to paint

Maine soon but I just would like to use Florida as a home base.

"Sunday In Thuya Garden" 8x10 oil on copper  850$ framed in gold or black with gold.

Shipping and frame are included.

   I had another great day in Thuya Garden.  As the garden was almost closing and I was finishing

up my painting, a family of squirrels were playing in the flower bed in front of me.  Their playful

chirps were so cute.  About 15 chickadee birds landed on the grass for a second and then flew up to

the trees.  I had been hearing them for many hours but it was delightful to see them. I just love 

Chickadees.  I thought of painting a few landing on the grass but did not get a photo and did not 

know if I could paint them from memory!  I painted a few butterflies into the painting. I liked

how an Orange butterfly turned out that landed on a cream colored Zinnia in the center.  

  A lovely lady took my photo.  She took a photo of me for herself and said it was her favorite

photo of the day.  What a nice thing to say!  

   I started the painting with the framework of the design in a dark brown color

that I created using my limited palette.  I found myself next mixing a pretty dark

Green to cover a lot of this Brown area. 

  This morning Festus was being very playful rolling around on my old barn twine. He loves

the smell of this old twine. He was rolling around on the twine pushing things on my desk with

his big feet.  There were a few things on the desk that started to fall on the floor.  I grabbed my 

cup of coffee before it crashed!  He was having such an enjoyable time!

   Lady Violet gathered up Robert's croc shoes, a kitchen towel, to sleep with.  She is doing 

better every day.  I gave her a hair cut.  She is growing a Winter coat. 

   Good night. 

"October In Thuya Garden" 8x10 oil on copper 850$ framed in gold or black with gold.

Shipping and frame are included.

    I had a glorious day painting in Thuya Garden.  I was very amazed at all the flowers still blooming.

Bees were collecting pollen on the White Aster flowers.  I painted a few into that area.  I liked the

large ceramic vase on the right.  I had a friend recently tell me she really liked that vase.  I took a better

look at the vase and thought it would make a nice contrast in a flower painting.  I think people will

see it and know yep that is Thuya Garden. It something iconic in the garden just like the once beautiful

Pewter water fountain by the red roofed seating area.  So memorable.  

"Zinnias Party" 8x10 oil on copper 850$ framed in gold or black with gold.  Shipping and

frame are included.  

    I was sitting admiring these Zinnias I purchased on Mount Desert Island.  They were sitting

in a Red solo cup.  I was sipping on a peach kombucha.  Festus was staring at the Zinnias too.

I started painting the Zinnias.  About two hours later Festus surprised me by hopping up on my desk.

He stood in front of the Zinnias sniffing them. He raised his paw to feel them rearranging a few of them.

I asked him to go but he is very stubborn when he is interested in something. I knew the Zinnias in the

Red solo cup would end up on the floor.  I held a roll of paper towels and swirled them around me 

head a few times.  Festus's eyes got large and he retreated.  An hour later he was back and sniffing and

molesting my Zinnias again.  I did my paper towel trick again and he ran.  So the night continued like a 

dance of Festus and the paper towels and me painting.  Love the look on Festus's face!

  I did not realize it was a full moon until I went

to sleep.  Full moons always make me paint for 10 hours or more.  Such a strange thing to influence an artist!

Good night.

   It was pretty at Lake Alamoosook, in Orland, Maine.  I spent many hours every morning

here with Daisy and Duke, my first two Golden Retrievers.  I painted many paintings here.

   The clouds and Fall foliage made the drive up to Cadillac Mountain impressive!

   There was a very large cruise ship in the harbor at Bar Harbor.  I did not paint like I normally would.

It was very crowded with people, windy, and very cold.  I was happy to admire the scene and leave 

rather quickly!  

   I tripped on the new painting panels leaning up against furniture.  I hopped up into the air

and was horizonal coming at Festus with great speed.  Festus was laying on his metal station.

He tried very hard to scramble out of the way.  His large feet pushed his ceramic water bowl and food

dish onto the floor.  His cat bed slid off onto my desk knocking over my coffee.  Water and coffee were

everywhere!  Broken ceramics littered the floor.  Miss Kitty started to eat any fallen cat kibble.  Festus

went and hid in the other room.  He was terrified.  I set to work cleaning.  Festus came out to see if it

was all right.  Miss Kitty continued to eat.  I put a new ceramic bowl of water, fresh cat kibble in his bowl,

and set his cat bed back on his metal station.  Festus is very jumpy still.  

  Here is Festus trying to make the most of it.  I spent a few hours with the cats and dog in 

the backyard to try to calm him.  

Good night.