Plein Air painting

"First Light"  11 x 14 oil on canvas panel

    This year I have been doing some plein air painting, and one day got up at 5 am to capture the sun rising over one of the Great Lakes.  That day I was at lake Huron, from Michigan you see beautiful sunrises on this lake.  If you want great sunset views, Lake Michigan is perfect.

     Thought I would share some tips from this experience.
1.  Get up early enough to have that morning coffee, before heading out :)
2. Get to the place you plan to paint from early enough to set up and have everything ready "before" the sun comes up.
3.  You may want to have a portable light, because you will be setting up when it is still fairly dark.
4.  Have you palette loaded with all the colors you want to use, and possible some premixed combinations that could be used.
5.  Be ready to paint "fast".
6.  Do not get discouraged if the painting does not turn out perfect it will make great reference to work from back at your studio.

      I list all these because I did not do them and really wished I had.  When the sun comes up it is like a slow motion explosion.  The colors in the sky and the water change "very" quickly.  I was still trying to get all my stuff out and set up in dim light when the light started to break.  
    When I started painting there was not enough light to clearly see the colors on my palette, luck for me I have a regular lay out I use so I knew where each color was.  But a small light focused on the canvas and palette would have help.

     These two were made on the beach that day, the one above,  was painted later using the plein air paintings as a reference.

This painting will be available at the Oct Fenton art show:

11 x 14 inches, oil on canvas panel

Happy painting Mary

Encaustic painting

Day 25 already!  

8x8 inchesAvailable at DPWs

     I think I have mentioned this before, I am an art supply junkie.  If there is something new I have to try it.  This one is painted with cold water soluble wax paint called Ceracolor.  I call it encaustic because it is wax, but you do not have to melt it.  Pretty cool to work with.

   I have work with tradition encaustic and enjoyed it, but it is complicated, with heating the wax, melting it to paint, scraping back into it, and doing that to every layer you work on.  With traditional encaustic you can create more texture than with the cold wax.  But, the Ceracolor paint is just plain easy, wet it, paint with it, and heat it only to seal it.  Kind of feel like I am cheating...almost:)

    The painting is a location in Parshallville Michigan, an old apple mill that is fun to visit in the Fall.  There are trails from the mill that travel a long the small river by the mill.  A nice place to walk, paint and photograph.  One word of warning, on a warm day in the Fall, there will be bees, they are drawn to the area, think it must be the smell of cider and doughnuts:)

Mary

Local Painting

Enjoyed a wonderful morning painting with friends in Linden, Michigan.  Linden is a small town with a community spot along the river that runs through town.  It is one of those places that any direction you turn there is a painting waiting to be born.  Decided to paint a view of a couple homes that line the water line.

11 x 14 inches, acrylic on canvas panel, "To Sit on the Shore"
AVAILABLE AT SCHIROS-ART.COM

More news,  If you are in Romeo Michigan this month, I have a painting on display with the "Thumb Area Painter's" show.
Also, getting ready to participate in the "30 paintings in 30 days challenge" starts Sept 1st.
I know the theme for the first week for me will be Sunflowers, they are growing like crazy in my garden.  Most of the paintings will be posted on my 30 paintings in 30 days page of this blog, hope you follow along.

Mary

Painting tips for Plein Air Painting

"Over View of Color"  16 x 12 inches Acrylic on gallery wrap canvas.  Available at The FIA Rental Gallery, Flint MI

This Summer is the first time I decided to try Plein Air painting. 

Venturing out by self the first couple times, I quickly learned some basic things.  

   1.  Travel as light as you can, and use a easy to carry easel.

The first time out I took my paints, brushes, and a panel, with the idea sitting on the ground would be ok.  Sitting on the ground is ok if you do not mind, grass and bugs getting into your paint.

Oil on canvas panel, 12 x 12 inches, "Just oOver the Bridge"
Available at DPWs

 2.  Find shade to set up and paint in.  Make sure that the spot will stay shaded for the hour or two your working.  The second time out,  found a lovely spot by a stream, and set my easel up in near a tree for shade.  The only problem with that I was at the edge of the shade and within a half hour I was in full sun with the shade moving away from my “perfect view”.

12 x 16 inches, "Bare Tree"
Available at DPWS

  3.  Take water, and a snack.  Racing out to paint before breakfast I soon realized I was hungry, thirsty, and already covered with oil paint, not a good time to walk into a deli and get food.

"Leaning Tree"
Available at DPWs

 4.  Wet lands have bugs,  bug spay, even though I hate the smell has saved me from getting eaten alive.

 5.  When you find a beautiful area to paint, make sure it is still beautiful when you are done.  Always have a bag for your trash.

Oil on canvas, "Willow in the Pond"
Available at DPWS
 6.  This tip is from my latest out door painting day, “Wet Paint”  at Applewood estate in Flint.  Level ground is your friend.  I have to say I had a perfect view on a hill, over looking a garden.  Set my easel up, adjusted the legs for the slope of the hill and painted.  While other artists had sore arms and shoulders, it was my legs that ached at the end of the day.  I had thought about the easel, but not the fact my feet and legs would be getting a work out from the slope I stood on.

Yep that's me, one happy camper:)

 7.  When your painting, try and work on the picture as a whole, not just parts.  With changing sun, and weather, there may be a point you need to stop and possibly finish the work at home.  One painting I worked on, I focused mainly on just one area, leaving a good portion to finish off site.

And did not even take a reference photo for later.  

     When I got home I worked on that painting off and on for the rest of the day, and just ended up frustrated.

  8. When frustrated don’t be afraid to do an about face…paint over it and do something totally different!

12 x 16 inches, Acrylic on canvas, 

Available at DPWs

Oh yes at one time this was a landscape,  but I like this view better :)

                              Mary

Plein air in the back yard

10 x 8 inch acrylic on canvas

Want to get outside and paint, but do not want to spend gas and time getting there?   Just take a walk around your yard there is bound to be something interesting.
 I let daisies grow around my veggie garden,  and they ended up being subject material for the day.
After painting one, it just was not enough decided to paint two more.

10 x 8 inches acrylic on canvas

Great way to spend the day,  and all the paintings sold, two to Texas and one to Arizona, guess I am not the only one that likes daisies :)

Mary
Schiros-art.com

painting outside

Work in process, 11 x 14 inches oil on canvas

Today I pulled myself away from the garden and went off to paint in Fenton, MI.
There is a small river that runs through town, a perfect place to paint.  Got as much paint down as I could today, almost done just a few more touches after this layer dries.  Although there were not any other painters out on this fine day, I was not alone.

Next week I will remember  to bring something for my new friends :)
Mary
Schiros-Art

My favorite Painting Park

Another day at the park....

Oil on cnavas, 9 x 12 inches

                                                                                               Available at DPWs
Calling it September Park.  
   Think this location will be my version of Monet's Lilly Pond, or Van Gogh's Wheat Fields.  It is close is home, has a great set up to paint, (covered tables).  Going to try and capture each season changes at the same spot.  So be forewarned will see a number of paintings of the pond.
Mary
Schiros_Art 

day 1

Calendula, 5 x 7 inches, oil on canvas panel

                                                                    Available at DPWs
Day one of a new 30 paintings in 30 days challenge,
(Thanks Leslie Seata ).
Today was to beautiful to be inside, so I pulled a chair up a short distance from one of my gardens, and painted my Calendula (also know as common marigolds).  
   These flowers serve multi purpose, one they are pretty but best help keep bad bugs out of the veggies.
    After I painted them decided to snap some photos so you could get a real peek at my garden edges:)

had to sneak a Cosmos in just because..

 Hope everyone is having a great day!
Mary
Schiros_Art