En Plein Air Images

While trying to explain to a friend what en plein air means, Lynn said, "Oh, I get it. It means dragging all your s_ _ t outside with you." Yep, that just about explains it. And when I go drawing in the woods my day pack is filled with pastels, board, paper, pencils, sketch book, paper towels, baby wipes, rubbing alcohol, a paint brush, camera, drinking water, my lunch and  camera. I also take a stool and easel. whew! I recently met Bill Fletcher who told me he uses a real backpack which makes the load seem so much lighter and has lots of room for various items.
I also take bug spray. The woods are full of mosquitoes, flies, ticks and chiggers. Unfortunately, the bug spray doesn't work on chiggers. If anyone out there reading this blog has a great way to keep the chiggers at bay, please let me know. I'm chewed to pieces and am determined that those nasty bugs will not keep me from the woods.
But I digress from the reason for this evenings musings.
As I draw on location I've started taking photographs of my completed piece on location so the actual location is visible along with my drawing. I'm printing this image and attaching it to the framed piece of art work to show my customers the landscape that inspired the piece they find interesting.

I'll be showing 3 new drawings from my Shakertown series with the attached photos at the Crescent Hill Art Fair this weekend. I'll let you know next week what reaction I get from my customers. I hope they love the idea and the story.

Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill

Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill is also known as Shakertown, on Rt. 68 twenty-four miles from Lexington. These 40 miles of gorgeous hiking, biking and horseback riding trails will be my summer destination for plein air painting.
To help support wildlife the Kentucky Department of Natural Resources and Nature Conservancy are transforming into wildflower habitat some of the acres of fields which were farmed by the Shaker community in the late 1880's. 

This June has been the 6th hottest June on record in Lexington and very humid. I've stayed in my studio preparing new work for the 3 art fairs that I participated in but finally a wonderful Canadian high swoop down through Kentucky and brought cooler fresher air. 
Off I went to Shakertown and what a surprise to see the wonderful wildflower field full of black-eyed Susans, pink coneflowers and little white daisies.
"Wildflower Field 1" is from Tuesday morning and "Wildflower Field 4" was created on Wednesday morning by my alter-ego the one that loves abstracts.
I guess that goes back to my Pisces nature of 2 fish and two (or more) different approaches. The first piece was created on Kitty Wallis sanded paper Belgium Mist color and the second one was created on Uart sanded paper 400 grit with an orange acrylic wash.

I'm off to another art fair, Crescent Hill Art Fair in Louisville at 301 Peterson Ave. which is off Grindstead Drive. Come see some of my new plein air pieces.