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.

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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Expanding My Territory

We are finally getting settled into our new digs in Deland, FL. Moving is such an ordeal and this one seemed fraught with extra complications. Most of that is behind us now and I'm expecting delivery of my new studio/shed sometime next week. I'll do a whole post on that when it arrives.

We are located about a half of a mile from the St. John's River. So with most of our unpacking and organizing done I've managed to head out to Ed Stone Park a couple of times to paint the river.

This is the first one I did a week ago. I focused on this mossy tree with it's branches stretching down into the river. It's an 8" x 10" gallery wrapped canvas in oil.

I went out again today and chose a different view.  Here are a few pictures of my progress as well as the view.

I love the light hitting that small clearing

I toned the canvas and put in my basic plan starting with the darkest darks

"The Clearing" - oil - 8" x 10"

Is it a Paint Out or a Party?

Tomoka State Park

I spent this past weekend with the wonderful artists of the Florida Womens Art Assoc. at the Tomoka State Park in Ormond Beach, Florida.

It was our annual paint out or artist party, whichever you prefer to call it. I took this picture at about mid day on Saturday. What a beautiful day!

In the morning we were able to watch a demonstration by Ruth Vines which was as entertaining as it was informative.

Then in the afternoon I did a very small painting of the scene on the left. Using a limited Zorn like palette gives the scene more mood don't you think?      

"Tomoka Boat Ramp" - 5"x 5" - oil - Leah Wiedemer

This one sold soon after I brought it into the recreation hall we were using and put it on the table. The thrill never ends when someone hands over hard earned cash for one of my paintings. I'm very grateful for my collectors.

There was still time to watch another demonstration. This time it was a portrait demo by Kathleen Lusby. One of our members posed in period garb for Kathleen. I appreciated how she took the time to teach and explain why she made certain choices.

At the end of the day we had a pot luck supper and elected our new officers.

Since I'm currently living like a gypsy while we wait to close on a house one of our members very kindly let me stay the night at her house. Artists are such fun! I had the best time wandering through her home and admiring all of the beautiful art work. Thank you Babs for your wonderful hospitality.

Sunday was a bit gloomier, but I was still able to paint outside during the morning hours. So I did two more mini paintings.

"Rain on the River" - 5"x 5" - oil - Leah Wiedemer

"Kayaks at Rest" - 4"x 3" - oil - Leah Wiedemer

 Did I mention that these first two canvases had been prepped with super heavy body gesso? I like how it adds texture and makes the paint look thicker than it really is. You can really see the difference by comparing it to "Kayaks at Rest"

Marilyn Masters did our final demonstration in the afternoon. The good people at the Tomoka State Park had 3 re-enactors come in period regalia to pose for us. Marilyn painted a man dressed as an East Florida Ranger and invited us to paint along with her.

Well, I couldn't resist taking her up on her invitation to paint a live model.

Here is a shot of our model James.  And below that is my portrait attempt. I think I'll work on it a bit more and then maybe I'll give it to James as a thank you for posing so long for us. James explained that the tri cornered hat he has on is slightly inaccurate in that the trim should be white and not yellow. I promised to change it in the painting after it dries a bit.

East Florida Ranger - oil - 8"x 10" - Leah Wiedemer

So that was my weekend. A paint out and a party all in one.  I love hearing from you so please leave a comment.