A trip to California

Last month I had the great pleasure to spend a week in and around Santa Barbara, California, with local, resident painter Marcia Burtt.

I first met Marcia when I took one of her workshops in Sedona, Arizona, in 2007. That was really the start of plein air painting for me. After admiring her work online for quite a while, and dreaming of spending more time painting, I took the plunge and was hooked. I've kept in-touch with her since and last year saw that she was offering kind of a mentoring, one-on-one time of painting together for artists, so I took her up on it. I stayed a few nights in the apartment connected to her Gallery in-town and then a few nights at her ranch about an hour-and-a-half up in the hills. We painted together every day, first at some of the Santa Barbara beaches that I have come to know from her decades of painting there, and then familiar scenes around her ranch.

Marcia paints with acrylic, which have always frustrated me with their quick drying time, but it's still great to watch and learn from her.

Here are some of the paintings I completed there. I have several more that need some touch-up.

Butterfly Beach, oil, 11" x 14"
Late-afternoon, oil, 8" x 10"
Afternoon field, oil, 9" x 12"
Oak on Quail Mountain, oil, 12" x 16" SOLD

A couple new ones

I have been traveling to Michigan nearly every weekend for the past couple of months. Weather has been great. Trees are just starting to show color. Hopefully paint that next weekend. Here are a couple from recent trips.

Last of summer, oil 11" x 14"

Looking toward Pyramid Point, oil 8" x 8"


September sun, oil 12" x 9"

The Oliver Art Center & Frankfort plein air

I painted a large studio piece last month of the Elberta view of the Arcadia dunes. It was juried into the Oliver Art Centers annual show. While up there a week ago to see the show, I painted at Frankfort beach one morning. Same dunes at a greater distance.

Afternoon Shore, Elberta, oil 24" x 30"

I felt in good company at the show with gouaches by Joan Richmond, and an oil by Angela Saxon.

At Frankfort Beach, oil, 8" x 12"

Summer Workshop

My annual Plein Air Basics workshop for the Glen Arbor Art Association was a couple of weeks ago.  It’s great that they have a relationship with the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore which allows hosting of the class at one of the historic homestead farms, Thoresen Farm. 

The first day we stayed on the farm and I started with a demo of the out-house and hen-house. They put the hen-house/hatchery next to the out-house so every time you went out to take care of business you could check on the eggs.

The second day we went down to the beach. Perfect weather, great group. Class was full. I’m working on a possible 1-day workshop for later September in Glen Arbor.

Out-house and hen-house, oil, 9" x 12"

Sunset Beach morning, oil, 14" x 11"

Saugatuck Paint-out

Water Street Gallery in Douglas, Michigan, has been hosting a one-day paint-out and wet paint sale for about 5 years now. I think this was my fourth year attending. A beautiful day. I painted by the beach in the morning and the harbor in the afternoon.

At both of these recent paint-outs I didn’t have time to get good shots of my paintings until they were framed and at the reception.

Summer squalls, oil 12" x 10"
SOLD

Saugatuck Summer, oil 11" x 16"
SOLD

Glen Arbor paint-out

I was in Glen Arbor Michigan this past weekend for the Art Association's 7th annual Paint-out. Lots of artists, three events: a sundowner, quick-paint, and Saturday's all-day paint-out. I was asked to arrive early, really early, Thursday morning. I set up at 5:30 am along with the chairman of the event to be interviewed by 7&4 News Today for a couple of segments on the morning show before the Today Show. Fun, painted while the sun came up. Here's a link to the segments.

Here are a couple of the paintings I did at the event.

Evening glow, oil, 10" x 8"
SOLD

High season, oil, 10" x 8"
SOLD

More along the shore

As usual, this summer I’m spending as much time as I can painting along the shore of west Michigan. Bright mornings and golden, late-afternoons are the favorites of most plein air painters and I’m no exception. An early riser, I love getting out to see the long shadows.

Here are a couple from early July.

This coming weekend I’ll be painting at the Glen Arbor Art Association’s annual paint-out. A Thursday evening sunset paint-out, a Friday afternoon quick-paint, and all day Saturday painting around the area. Saturday evening will be the reception and sale.

Cottage at the shore, oil, 14" x 11"

Pierport morning, oil, 12" x 16"
SOLD