San Clemente Vista

"San Clemente Vista"

Image size 6" x 6"

Oil

This week is the "Paint San Clemente" plein air event.  I've been looking forward to trying some more plein air paintings.  I went to Casa Romantica yesterday, which is a beautiful, old spanish style home perched above the ocean.  It has beautiful gardens and views.  I lasted about an hour and a half before I got tired of painting and went home.  I will continue trying plein air paintings, but there's nothing like the comfort of painting at home.  I still have trouble editing what to paint when I'm outside looking at a scene.  I'm sure it will get easier with practice, but I doubt that I will ever consider myself a plein air painter.

Painting Party Vineyard

"Painting Party Vineyard"

Image size 9" x 12"

Acrylic

This painting was finished on Friday, but I forgot to post it yesterday.  I've been really busy with several projects and my brain just couldn't handle one more thing I guess.

On Friday, I led a painting party for a friend.  About 10 people painted.  I wanted a scene that would be easy to do, but not look simplistic.  I've never led a painting party before so I was pretty nervous.  I painted along with everyone so they could copy what I was doing.  Only a few people did that.  Some people painted something totally different and others copied the example that I had brought but painted much more quickly than I did.  It was really fun to see everyone's creativity and I think they all turned out really well.  I wish I had pictures of them.

Nature's Power

"Nature's Power"

Image Size 24" x 36"

Encaustic

Back to waves again!  They are just so much fun to paint and I can't stop!  This time I wanted to have the wave crashing on the sand instead of just curling.  I'm really happy with the colors on this one.

San Juan Bougainvillea

"San Juan Bougainvillea"

Image size 6" x 8"

Water Miscible Oil

I went to the San Juan Capistrano mission this week to do a plein air painting.  I've only tried painting outside a handful of times and it has always seemed to be more trouble than it's worth.  I like having all the comforts of home when I paint, but it's time to try something new. 

For some reason, I've signed up for a plein air competition that is held in a local beach city each year so I'm forcing myself to paint outside.  It's a week of painting with a contest at the end of the week.  I doubt that I will enter anything that I paint, but I thought it would be fun to try. There will be artists all around the town painting so there should be a nice energy.  I think that once I get used to painting outside, I will really enjoy it.  

The mission has so many places that would be beautiful to paint, but I saw this bougainvillea at the end of a broken archway and decided that would be my subject.  I painted for a couple of hours before I left, but for me, that's a long time to paint without taking a break.  I have a very short attention span....