Growing Pains

Mount Dora Lighthouse - oil - 8"x 10" - plein air - Leah Wiedemer

Even though I haven't posted anything in a while, I have been busy painting outdoors and in, as well as doing a lot of thinking about painting.

Like most artists I'm always reaching for a foothold in the next skill and creativity level. The digital age has made online and video study an affordable option for artists to grow. I've invested heavily in these teaching tools over the past year. It's taking time for me to assimilate so much information. In an effort to avoid being overwhelmed I have found it helpful to concentrate on one aspect such as color, value, or composition at a time.

Rain at the Bridge - oil - 5"x 7" - plein air - Leah Wiedemer

Now that much of the information is solidifying in my mind, the next step is to consistently implement it in my painting. Easier said than done. I'm satisfied with far fewer paintings these days and have made it a habit to regularly purge sub par works. It has been liberating to let go of those paintings that used to haunt me with their various issues.

As I continue to press forward I'm faced with another dilemma. I've noticed that many plein air works look to be in a very similar style. How to stand out when there are hundreds of wonderful plein air artists out there doing similar work. I feel a twist on my horizon. I'm not sure what the twist or bend will look like, but it's coming so I'm watching for it.

Four Days and Seven Paintings

The "Find Your Park" plein air event was in celebration of the 100th anniversary of our national park system. The St. Augustine, Fl Cultural Association participated by sponsoring a week long paint out at the Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas. It was a great week getting to meet other plein air artists and painting in beautiful St. Augustine. The sun shone and the wind blew which for me meant seeking out shade and holding down my easel with one hand while I painted with the other. It was both fun and exhausting. I'd do it again in a minute!

Day 1 - Fort Matanzas

"Enter Through the Gift Shop" - 8"x 10" - oil

"Tree on the Marsh" - oil - 5"x 7"

"Matanzas Beachette" -oil- 8"x 10"

Day 2 - The Castillo

"The Lookout" - oil - 11"x 14"

Day 3 - The Castillo

"Windy Picnic" - oil - 11"x 14"- sold

Day 4 - The Castillo

"Palm Shadows in the Old City" - oil - 11"x 14"

You may have noticed that I only put up six paintings when I said there were seven. Number seven never got photographed, so you'll just have to take my word for it. I might get around to taking it's picture next week after I recover.

Painting Flagler Beach

This past week was the culmination of months of planning as I headed up the annual Flagler Beach Paint Out. Being in charge is a role I'm not entirely comfortable with, but my reward is getting the chance to interact with so many talented artists.
Tuesday I was able to take some time to paint with  other artists, have lunch and go back to painting. It was a perfect day. I chose a shady spot under the Flagler Bridge.

There are prettier places to paint, but this location fit my needs. Close to the restaurant where we were meeting for lunch, shady, and protected from too much wind.
This is the painting I did under the bridge. I warmed up the colors and concentrated on making interesting light effects.

"Under The Bridge" - oil - 8"x 10" - $195

Next week I'll be in St. Augustine painting the Castillo Di San Marcos and Fort Matanzas national parks.

Painting Naples Florida

One of the things I enjoy about plein air painting is getting the opportunity to visit  beautiful areas to paint. Earlier this week I was in Naples, Fl for the annual 3rd On Canvas plein air event. This was my first time as a 3rd On Canvas artist, but I was treated as an old friend by the organizers and other artists.
We were assigned locations and required to paint from 10 am - 4 pm Monday and Tuesday. My plan for Monday was to begin a painting in the morning and then change my view (not my location) to begin another painting in the afternoon. My strategy with this plan was to view and paint my subject with semi- consistent lighting.
It's good to have a plan. But it is better to be flexible and roll with the punches. This is what Campiellos looked like when I arrived.

 I had just gotten my rough block - in done when the staff came out and very quickly and efficiently removed the heaters and put all of the umbrellas up. So much for my plan. I could still see the bar well enough so I worked on that and decided where I wanted to put some figures. By then the sun was baking me so I was ready to have some lunch and find shade.
Still in front of Campiellos, but on the other side I chose this archway as my subject.

I was happy to have some space out out of the direct sun. This was about 80% complete when I left at 4 pm.
The next morning I made sure I arrived early to give myself plenty of time to complete the bar painting. It was drizzling when I first got there, but it cleared up pretty quickly and I was able to finish and frame the painting.

"Campiellos Bar" 11"x 14" - oil on linen covered board

So after lunch I returned to the archway. 

"Campiellos Arch" - 11"x 14" - oil on linen covered board

I received good feedback on both paintings, but in the end I chose "Campiellos Arch" to be in the auction at the Port Royal Yacht Club this coming Sunday. 

It was a great experience. I'm already looking forward to next year.

It's All About the Light

Central Florida has a number of idyllic small towns in which tourists and locals alike enjoy strolling, shopping and eating. Nestled in the gently, rolling hills of Lake County is Mount Dora. Okay, there is no mountain in Mount Dora. This is Florida after all. There is however a lake, interesting shops and tons of good restaurants. I spent a week soaking it all up during the Mount Dora paintout.

These are the paintings I finished during the paint out. Also there was one that I was convinced I could do better. I usually think that, but this time I had an idea about what it needed.  I didn't enter it into the exhibition so I could work on it at my leisure.

Courtyard Fountain - oil - 11"x 14 - Leah Wiedemer

Workin on the Railroad - oil - 11"x 14" - Leah Wiedemer

Then we had a quick draw competition. It was my first experience with one of these. We had two hours to complete a painting on the grounds of the Sydonie mansion. A little overwhelming.

Sydonie Arch - oil - 11"x 14" - Leah Wiedemer

The judge talked a lot about the affects and importance of light in our paintings. This is something I plan to work on.
This last painting is the one I worked on more when I got home. Let me know if you think it made a difference.

The Masonic Lodge (before light adjustments)

TheMasonic Lodge - oil - 11"x 14" - Leah Wiedemer

I think it was worth spending a little more time on. What do you think? Leave a comment.

Artisan Alley with Four Artists

This week our little painting group went to Artisan Alley in DeLand, Fl. If you come on a Friday evening this place is teeming with people buying and selling at the farmers market. It's a different and much quieter story on a Tuesday during the early morning hours.

Florida sunshine being as intense as it is in the summer we arrive by 7:30, quickly choose our subject, do a value sketch, and begin painting. I'm painting on a 11"x 14" canvas board that I textured with super heavy gesso.


Here are a series of photos in progress.

Sketched in my design with paint on a toned canvas

Let the tweaking begin!

Artisan Alley - 11"x 14" - oil - Leah Wiedemer

 Now to decide where we will paint next week!

You can comment below. Or visit my website - http://lwiedemer.com

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

If you are interested in this piece I'm offering free shipping within the U.S. (continental)

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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I'd love to hear your thoughts. Please comment below.

Painting Small Towns

Having a plein air painting buddy is a great way to push yourself to get out there, paint, and improve. Just knowing that someone is expecting me to show up adds a point of accountability forcing me out of bed when I'm tired, and making an effort to overcome my natural 'hermitiness'.

This week we met on Woodland Street again, but a few steps further north. This was my view.

"Rich Street" - oil - 11"x 14" - L. Wiedemer

I used a canvas board with super heavy gesso applied for added texture. I neglected to get in progress photos because I was hurrying in an effort to beat the heat. This time I just dove in sketching my design with thinned paint - no toning the canvas today.

By the end of our session I was baking in the sun. Next week we will try starting a half hour earlier.

I tinkered a good bit with this later in the studio. I decided to add some flower pots on the left, put a few birds on the wire, and deepened some shadows.

Painting Sunshine on Canal Street

Our plein air painting group finally caught a break with the weather, so we met on Canal Street in New Smyrna Beach.
The sun was shining with nary a cloud in the sky.

If you know Canal Street, you are aware that it is popular with tourists and locals alike. It is lined with quaint shops, restaurants, and galleries. I love to hear the comments of people who stop to look. My favorite this day was "Oh! Fancy!".

This is where I set up. I started out enjoying the shade cast by the building across the street, but all too soon I found myself in full sun and beginning to burn.

I wear sunglasses to help me to not paint too dark in full sun. But even the shades couldn't eliminate all of the glare on this bright day.

Here is my "Got A Minute?" progress video. It even came in at just under a minute this week! Now who doesn't have a spare 57 seconds?

Back in the studio I took this picture of the finished painting.

"Canal Street" - oil - 8"x 10" - Leah Wiedemer - $280

Please leave a comment and tell me your thoughts. - thank you!

The Results Are In

The opening for the Mount Dora Paint Out gallery show was a few days ago. A huge crowd gathered to view the work accomplished that week. I was impressed with the turnout. Many times an opening is attended by mostly the artists and family members, but this brought in locals and visitors from all walks of life.
 Each participating artist could hang up to three paintings and most did. There was a lot of great work. I'm happy to report that I didn't go home empty handed. My painting "Lake Dora Boat Slip" was awarded one of two honorable mentions.

"Lake Dora Boat Slip" - 8"x 10" - oil - $280

Thank you judges!

I put together a "Got a Minute" progress video for my painting of "The Cannonball Caboose". By the way, it came out at exactly one minute! Don't you just love when the trains run on time? Happy viewing and please leave a comment.

Climbing Mount Dora

Did I say 'climbing'?! No, that's just silly. There are no mountains in Florida. Although the land does gently undulate in Lake County  where the charming little town of Mount Dora is located. What I meant to say was 'painting' Mount Dora.

For the past week I've had the pleasure of participating in the Mount Dora Paint Out. Driving back and forth was exhausting, but the time I had painting more than made up for it.




Day 1. I decided to paint Donnelly Street which is the main street in town. You can see from the photo that is was a beautiful day. Here is my finished painting.

"Donnelly Street" - 8"x 10" - oil - $280

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Day 2. Unfortunately it poured rain all day. The good news is that I snagged a spot in the parking garage where I had a great view of the train. So I was able to stay mostly dry. I don't know why everyone didn't do that.

The Cannonball Caboose - 11"x 14" - oil - $462

I'll do a separate post for my 'Got a minute' progress video of the Cannonball Caboose.

Day 3. The sun came back for another gorgeous day and I set up my easel by Lake Dora. The cypress trees make the water appear tea colored.

"Lake Dora Boat Slip' - 8"x 10" - oil - $280

Here is a shot of the hawk that kept an eye on us painting all morning. 

                                         

Day 4. I returned to the lake but a different area. There were a couple of swan boats on the beach that I didn't paint. I did use them in the title though.

Lake Dora Swan Depot - 11"x 14" - oil - $462

 

Tomorrow is the show opening at the Mount Dora Center for the Arts. I can hardly wait to see the works that my fellow artists painted during the week.

I'm learning so much by painting on location. There is still sooooooooooo much to learn! 

Please leave a comment or question below.

The Casements

This week I decided to do a quickie. It was threatening rain and I just had a little bit of time so I pulled out a 5"x 7" wrapped canvas that I had applied super heavy gesso to weeks ago. There is a wonderful old house on the Halifax River in Ormond Beach that used to be the home of John Rockefeller. Many Ormond Beach events are held there and it is one of my favorite places to paint.

                                                                                                                            

My canvas was so small that I really needed to be choosy about what I included. So I zeroed in on the right side of the giant oak tree.

Those rays of sunshine are deceptive. It did end up raining on me briefly, but not enough to send me packing.

I didn't take enough in progress pictures to warrant a minute video but here are a couple of stills with the final product.

toned the canvas and blocked in the tree

more on the tree and foreground and added some awnings

                        

I stopped taking pictures because of the rain so we jump ahead here to the end

The Casements - oil - 5"x 7" - $87.50 - Leah Wiedemer

Thanks for joining me on my plein air adventures! Please leave a comment. I'd love to hear your thoughts.