Trader Joes Sunflowers

     I set this up in the breakfast room, so I could paint while my granddaughter is napping in the studio.   That's the only time I paint sitting down.  This one was fun...
 

Paintable pears

     Shapely, colorful pears practically paint themselves.... It takes me awhile to pick them out at the store.  I guess people around think I'm a bit nuts, I look through all of them... put a few aside.... reexamine them for shape, color, stems, etc.   then pick the 3 I want to buy.... I feel like I need to tell people they are for a painting, cause they are looking at me in a strange way... HA !
    

persimmons

     With snow on the ground, it's a little hard to plein air paint for me.  I set this up because I love the look of persimmons.  They are fun to paint, now I guess I'll have to figure out how to eat them.

"Dorothy"

     I started this at the gallery on Saturday, where my plein air painter friends and I did a bit of studio painting.  The gallery is not usually open on Sat., during the day, so we decided to paint and open the doors, so visitors could come and look around.  We had quite a few wander in, including some friends, and chatted and showed them the exhibit.  Here's the painting that I finished up when I got home.

Lafayette Park houses

     I almost finished this painting, DID NOT like it.... because it was 'too tight', so this morning I just started completely over.  This one I'm happy with.  The only reason I'm putting myself through this is because it's a commission.   With every single painting I LEARN something.   It's amazing how at my age (just had a birthday, #68) we can all learn SO many things, if we are open to it !  Life is so cool, that way... Each new day we can start again, and reinvent ourselves.

Plein air at Lafayette Park yesterday

     I was enamoured by this wonderful tree.  The house started out in the dark, and later in the day it began to lighten... Darn, I was already done painting.  I did like the way it turned out, even though my hands were freezing by the end... ha !

Plein air today in Old Orchard in Webster

It was a relative windy day, but enjoyable too.  I was planning on doing a painting of the outdoor market next door to this building, but couldn't get the right angle for it.   I really like this building, which ia one of the older ones in Webster Groves.  It's been a furniture store and a record store, and an outdoor clothing store, too, in the time I've been alive.   It's now a pretty cool upscale interesting restaurant, with outdoor seating and very different dishes on the menu. 
     As I was finishing, this nice older woman walked toward me, glanced back to look at my viewpoint, and then said, with somewhat surprise.  "I thought that view wasn't very interesting until I saw your painting  You made the painting look better than the real thing."  I thought that was very sweet, and told her thanks.  She said ,"Where are you going to display this?" so I told her about the plein air show I'm participating in next month.  She said, "I'll have one of my children bring me."  It's so fun to talk to people who are interested in art !

Plein air Kirkwood farmer's market

Great day at the Kirkwood farmer's market.  They are open almost year 'round, with a Christmas store and a Halloween store, too.  They have a huge selection of pumpkins of every size and description.  They, of course, offer a wonderful selection of fruits and vegetables, and recently added an organic meat refrigerated section, plus home-baked pies and goodies, too !  Located on Argonne by the train station in Kirkwood, Mo. 

Plein air in Lafayette Square

     The Lafayette Square districts is one of the greatest older neighborhoods of our fair city.  It surrounds the wonderful Lafayette Park, and contains a quaint shopping area and great restaurants, as well as fabulous old houses which are so unique !   It's possible to find a great scene to paint by turning in almost any direction.

Plein air Forest Park, St. Louis, Mo.

     We had so much fun enjoying our painting session on Sunday.  We staked out our locations by this lagoon, with a bridge in the distance, and the Chase-Park Plaza Hotel way in the background.   It was a delightful day, weather-wise, and the company was superb !

Backyard rainy plein air

     I started I out this morning in a bit of a 'misty' atmosphere to paint downtown with my weekly painting buddies.  After stopping for gas and a quick trip to Walgreens for a notebook to gather contact info. on the group of painters, and it really began to rain in earnest.  I decided to set up under the umbrella on my deck and find a suitable subject, so I painted the corner of my bedroom bay window and the trees that give us a bit of privacy there.  When life gives you lemons.... you know the rest.     ha !

Lemp Avenue plein air

     After 2 days of non-stop partying for my high school reunion, I managed to drag myself out of bed on Sunday morning to go painting with my plein air buddies.   I was situated in front of this lovely home across from Lemp Mansion (next to their dumpster) and directly above highway 55 overpass.  I never realized how many loud motorcycle gangs traveled up and down the highway all day long... Boy, are they loud.  
     I'm happy with the way this painting turned out, even though I had to leave right after lunch for an appointment, and I had to get the information down pretty fast.   Mark in the shadows and establish your lightest lights, and your darkest darks ! voila !

Here's the Webster Groves High School entrance.... hasn't changed in over 50 years !

St. Louis City Garden

     I wanted to try this, knowing it would be hard, but I'm happy with the final painting.  Architectural subjects are so challenging.  They must be perfectly drawn, yet have soft edges.... a difficult task.
 

By the Grand Basin, St. Louis Art Museum.... love the railings around the water

     The sun seemed to be "after me" all day long.  I love to try to get a shady space to paint, but that was nearly impossible. At least I started out in the shade... I had to leave my easel where I started, then the sun started beating down on me, so I darted back and forth.... I would paint, move back, go forward, paint again...  I was doing the dance with the painting... ha ha
     I liked the results.  At first I thought the subject was too simple and uninteresting, then quickly decided it was difficult.... Oh, whoa is me... HA !!

Tuscany

Not plein air, instead a commission from a friend.  27 x 10... for over the kitchen doorway. 

Fun city backyard garden

Not a plein air, but instead from a photo I took in a friend's garden a few weeks ago.   I lovely woman that I paint with wanted to show me her garden after we painted on a Sunday a few weeks ago at Tower Grove Park.  She is amazing with design and color, and has the most beautiful big century home with a garden boasting almost every conceivable variety of flower.  Her garage on the alley has this cool color scheme.  I had to get a picture of it.  If I had to guess, I'd say it's a split-complementary, with yellow, plus the two colors on either side of it's complement, red-violet, and blue-violet... (periwinkle)
     NOW I'm sounding like my "art teacher" mode.... ha ha
     This one is a 10 x 10, on canvas board.

Grand Basin plein air

  We met at the Grand Basin this morning, in front of the Art Museum to paint plein air today.  It was beautiful everywhere, making it hard to decide what to paint.  I picked this bridge, because somehow these bridges tell a story, I guess.   Seems like I learn something every time I go out with this wonderful group of artists.  Today I learned a bit about different brushes !  I even stopped and got a few new ones on the way home.  I've never used 'flats' before, only 'brights', so I'm excited about getting to know these new ones !

  

Plein air- beautiful day !

Last weekend was a beautiful sunny day.  Our group met at the Muny and found our spots.... I picked my bridge again, with several other painters.   We stopped briefly for lunch, then got back to work.  I finished around 3:00, when Gwendolyn and I were the last to leave.  Such fun.  Here's my painting, it's 8 x 10 on gessoboard.

Muny Opera St. Louis, plein aire

     Restful lunch by the bridge over the pond.  Plein air is so much fun, and so challenging.  Finished this one in the studio.  16 x 20 oil on canvas.