Plein air painting at Westmoreland Park

Portland Plein Air and Studio Painters

It was great to paint with my art group today. The Portland Plein Air and Studio Painters are a large group of artists, some of whom meet regularly for art discussion and (when the weather is good) for plein air painting. Today we painted at Westmoreland Park in Portland.

I love painting with a group of other artists. We set up our easels where the subject interests us and mostly are quietly intense when painting. But, we also wander around a look at what each other is doing, and sometimes talk about the method, the subject, the value. We always ooh and ahh over new easels, new pochade boxes, a new brush, a better handcart.

We share our thoughts about how much work it is to paint outdoors. And then, grudgingly, admit that we learn more than imaginable with each plein air painting. When the painting turns out well. When the painting doesn't turn out well. No matter. The learning curve is steep en plein air.

Today I just felt happy to be painting with my painting friends.

Two days at the Iris Gardens -- Day One

I planned two days at Schreiner's Iris Gardens on a painting retreat. Several artists from my group, the Portland Plein Air and Studio Painters, came to paint also.

Before I went, I thought about my goals for my painting days. First, I thought I would paint four 18" x 24" paintings per day and try to capture some architecture at different times of day. Maybe I could capture the changing light on the buildings, I thought. But, my first attempt at the red barn did not go well and I was not happy painting the irises from such a distance.

The days were hot and sunny. I didn't drink enough water on Day One and had a headache. I couldn't seem to drink enough to replace what I had lost.

But, I powered through the second painting, done in an isolated small garden. The third painting was the hardest because I was so tired. I sat down on a bench to paint that one. I couldn't imagine painting a fourth painting.

Lovely Kimberly in watercolor

"Kimberly"

18 X 24, watercolor

This is my third attempt at Kimberly's portrait, done in watercolor instead of pastel. I like the soft feel of this painting. Her fair hair and smooth skin seem perfectly suited to the wet into wet application of watercolor.

Kimberly is lovely and I hope that I have not only captured her likeness, but also her beauty.

Click here to see the previous portraits, and tell me what you think!

Sneak peek at O'Connor's painting

For the last two years, I have been driving to Multnomah Village to O'Connor's Restaurant to have breakfast and art conversation with a group of fine artists, the Portland Plein Air and Studio Painters.

A small group within the PPASP, "Eight+", hung a show at O'Connor's earlier this year. The owner heard good feedback from his customers and staff about how our paintings added positively to his space, so he invited us to continue to show our artwork.

In October, we took down our show and Kaye Synoground, long time Multnomah Village artist, hung her cheerful watercolor paintings at O'Connor's. Now, beginning in January, Eight+ will hang paintings that relate to O'Connor's.

"Morning Coffee at O'Connor's", 18 x 24, pastel

An Invitation

Sweet, sweet rose

I hoped to paint today with the Portland Plein Air Painters at the Washington Park Rose Garden but the gray skies kept me from painting. It didn't keep me from admiring the flowers and taking photos of the ones that were open.

This has been such a cool spring, the roses are late to open. But the sun came out this afternoon and I hear it's going to stick around for a few days.

I can hardly look at roses, without thinking about these famous lines from Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet."

JULIET:
'Tis but thy name that is my enemy;
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot,
Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
What's in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,
And for that name which is no part of thee
Take all myself.