A Week Of Painting

The painting week started on Sunday morning with Eldon Warren and Patrice Walker. We headed up into Rocky Mt. National Park early and stood in an area thick with Ponderosa pine and aspen trees. Patrice and Eldon both turned out nice pieces that would later be entered into the show. The woods were so beautiful and this first painting turned out to be my personal favorite of the whole week; "A Magic Wood" is 12"x 16".













This view of Long's Peak from Moraine Park is 9"x 12".













The (PAAC) Plein Air Artists Colorado had so many members in the Estes Event that on Tuesday we met to paint at Lily Lake together.
I had just about wrapped up when we were hit by a huge hail storm. Patrice and I, along with a few tourists, took shelter under a large tree and hoped there would be no lightening.
"At The Top" is 12"x 16".













Thursday is Media Day and the painters are asked to paint down town in Estes Park to publicize the event. Dawn Normali and I painted near each other in a small park. Below is my piece "Aspens on the River". It is 12"x 9" and sold at the opening of the plein air show.

And Some Night Painting TOO!

One of the best things I did this year in Estes was get in 3 evenings of night painting. Here is Dawn Normali setting up in the late afternoon before the light really dropped. You can see my easel right beside her. The killer about this spot was not the view but the Italian restaurant patio, not 2 feet from my easel. All night we smelled the food with out getting any.
Below is my take on the intersection and the historic theater in Estes Park, after dark.
It is 16"x 12".

Painters - Load Your Brushes

By Saturday morning artists are running on caffeine, cheese cubes and red wine, (that's gallery food) and raw nerves. Fortunately, the views from Riverside Park in Estes are varied and congenial. It is amazing how much really good work is cranked out here in 90 minutes.












This painting by Jeff Legg was the point of some Quick Draw controversy and also sold for about 6 times what other pieces went for at the auction. It seems that though the organizers specifically state that the Quick Draw piece must be painted from something in your view, be it landscape, model or still life, Jeff chose to paint this still life from his head; meaning that there were no vase and cantaloup set up in his view (or anywhere in the park, for that matter). It begs the question: what is "plein air"? Is it just painting outside?
I am not sure that the buying public really cares - but a lot of artists sure did - and were talking about it all day. As it happens the buyer was an artist and knew they were getting a name artist's work for a rock bottom price.
I don't think this was as clear cut as one might think - especially where money is involved but one things is clear - Jeff Legg is an amazing artist whether he paints from his head or just looks at the ground.
I wish he had.























Here I am with my piece, a 10"x 8" view of an aspen tree next to a pine tree, much earlier, before the day got cloudy. I was very happy when it sold for more than twice my starting price. YaY!
Later that day the Plein Air Show opened in the 2 host galleries and I sold 2 more paintings before the end of the evening. Thus ended another great Estes Park Plein Air Event and I certainly hope to be back next year.