Getting Out of the Studio (Into the freezing early Autumn Snow)

The above picture is deceiving. Its a lot warmer than it was three days before. But the event was well worth a bit of shivering. It was an opportunity to get out and talk with friends and meet new ones. So the above painting won second place in the quick draw. We had about two hours to start and finish a painting. Its good to not worry about too much pre-thinking and jump right in. That’s when the sketch book habit kicks in. I painted the quick draw from a sketch I did in my sketch book. And the practicing capturing a scene in my sketch book helped me get the drawing down quickly on my watercolor paper so I could dive right into the painting.

The above painting was the first one I painted at the plein air event. It also received a second place award. This view caught my eye right from the parking area of the goosenecks. There is beauty all around us just waiting to be captured by an artist with a bit of paper and paint. And because the weather was so cold and unsettled, it made for capturing some great atmosphere.

Also I have a few paintings displayed at the Gathering of the Guilds. Dave and I will be at the Gallery Stroll from 6 to 6:30 pm this Friday, if you would like to come and say Hi. If you want to come and check out the paintings, they will be there until November 28th. The Gathering of the Guilds will be at the Urban Arts Gallery at Gateway Mall, 116 South Rio Grande St., Salt Lake City.