Does Alice Live Here?

This week we sought shelter from the rain under a pavilion in Sunflower Park in DeLand, Fl. The name of the park is a little puzzling since we could find nary a sunflower anywhere. But it's a pretty spot and it had a giant clock which reminded me of Alice in Wonderland. I may have seen the white rabbit.

I edited my view a bit by moving the tree to the left and eliminating trash cans and picnic tables.
Here are a few progression shots.

I pretty much worked from left to right on this one. Not my typical method.

Most of the greenery is in.

I'll do a little minor tweaking in my nice dry studio

All done!  "Alices Garden" - oil - 9"x 12" - $370

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Caught In the Current

Why do I keep returning to the river? Water is always a great subject, but for me the considerations are more practical. Here are my top 6 reasons to get caught in the current.

1. There is shade. In the hot Florida summer sunshine this is a must for me.
2. Many times there is a gentle breeze. That's right, it's all about my comfort!
3. If I need a quick snack or break there is a restaurant directly behind me.
4. It's about five minutes from my house. So it's not just comfort but convenience plays a part as well.
5. The changing light and reflections are always a challenge as well as a source of inspiration. So it's not all about practicality - I am an artist after all.
6. It's just plain beautiful and peaceful.

Here is the progression of my painting on the St. Johns River last week.

toned the canvas and wiped out some areas

placed the dock structure

about midway done on trees and water

now to play with the light and reflections

And the finished painting...

River Bend - oil - 9"x12" -$370 - Leah Wiedemer

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Capturing Small Town Charm

Big cities have plenty of excitement and activity, not to mention crime and pollution. But for charm you are more likely to find it in a small town. DeLand, Florida is a small town that is bursting with charm. Our little plein air painting group has no trouble finding paintable spots in and around DeLand. This past week we visited the train station.

The day was overcast which made it semi comfortable for us. Otherwise with no shade available we would have been at the mercy of the hot Florida sun.
I started by toning my canvas with yellow. Maybe I was trying to compensate for the lack of sun?
Then I started on the drawing using thinned paint and lifting out some areas with a paper towel.
Some people were on the platform briefly so I quickly put in some ghost images of them which I tweaked later.
I paid extra attention to the perspective. I need to get it right to make everything work.
At one point a train came barreling through and blew my canvas off the easel. Next time I'll hang on to it more tightly!


                                          

Back in the studio I decided that the building was a little too grey and could do with some warmth. So I added some ochre, tightened up the rails and deepened some of the shadows to help punch up the values.

The Depot - oil - 9"x 12" - $370 - Leah Wiedemer