2010 Straw Hat Awards!

"MEEK RETREAT - BEST STRAW HAT AWARDS"

2010

Several in the paint out group wore

very stylish straw hats. 

Here are the Winners of the Day

for Best Straw Hats!

Chuck

                                  

         Sally                                                                                                                                          Patty

Marilyn

Francie

There were Painting Subjects galore at the

Meek Retreat

Granbury Lake House

By the time we reached the lake house, set up, settle in,

picked our subject, drew and started painting it was time to

eat lunch, paint some more then pack up and head home.

We started our paintings but will have to finish at home.

The following are pictures of our starts...

Our Paint Out at Martha Sue's Meek Retreat was

great fun and we learned that painting outside is not always the

easiest thing to do.  It was a pretty day, lots of sunshine but

very windy.  We enjoyed the outdoors, good friends and experienced

"The Art of Plein Air Painting"

By the end of the day some were getting a bit silly but very happy.

So long for now!

Visit again soon to see the next painting, project or outing....

Day 3 Graham, Texas Plein Air Watercolor Workshop

On the third day of our Plein Air Workshop in Graham, the

weather was cold and rainy.  We stayed inside and painted in

the Old Post Office Museum and Art Gallery.

We had a fun morning painting abstract underpaintings called

"Minglings" and "Janet Roger Roses".

On Thursday afternoon I painted a watercolor demonstration of the

 Water Lily Pads below, using a limited pallette and

negative painting.  That is painting around the positive subject

matter which in this case was the lily pads.

There was a nice group of artists at the meeting of the

Graham Artist's Guild.  After finishing the painting, I had a drawing and one of the

long time members won the painting. 

After the meeting, I was packed up and headed home to Fort Worth.

It was a fun workshop and I really enjoyed the ladies in the workshop group

and all the members of the guild who came to the meeting.

One of the ladies in my Canvas by Canvas Painting Group recently

remarried and moved to Graham.  She was instramental in my

getting the gig to teach in Graham.  Thanks again Cindy.

If you missed Day One and Day Two of the workshop just scroll down

and you will see the group painting bluebonnets and

scenes around an old Victorian house in Graham.

Come back soon to see the next art adventure or project!

Blair Currin Oil Painting Workshop, May 5,6,7,2010

BLAIR  CURRIN  OIL  PAINTING  WORKSHOP

I attended an oil painting workshop sponsored by the

Woman's Club of Fort Worth this past week.

I was a student for a change and had a great time

painting in oils for three days. Here are three paintings

I completed during the workshop.

"SPRINGTIME"

Oil on Canvas"

8" x 10"

This painting was done from a photo I took at Mayfest

last weekend.

"KERRVILLE SPRING"

Oil on Canvas

8" x 10"

This painting was from a photo on a ranch in

Kerrville, Texas a year ago.

"RED WAGON"

Oil on Canvas

8" x 10"

This painting was done from a photo of our children's

little red wagon.  It is now our grandchildren's little

red wagon.  It has survived 2 generations.

The workshop was excellent.  Blair Currin is a plein air artist

and does studio paintings in his Aledo, Texas home.

He taught us the basics of landscape paintings and gave us

individual instructions and a great deal of wonderful information.

He shared his favorite art books and quoted many well known

artists of today and the past.

Please visit Blair Currin's website and view his beautiful paintings.

http://www.blaircurrin.com/Home.html

Come back soon to see what art project I'm working on next!!!

Day Two, Graham Plein Air Watercolor Workshop & Side Trip

DAY  TWO
 PLEIN  AIR  WATERCOLOR  WORKSHOP

Graham, Texas

Bluebonnets and Lake Graham Shoreline

  

Here we are standing in the Bluebonnets

Left to right...

Sandra, Debi, Suzy, Beth, Joann, Rose, Louisa, Margie

The bluebonnets were beautiful along the roadside on the Lake Road.

This is the scene I chose for my first demo of the morning.

The second demo of the morning was a veiw of Bluebonnets

up close and as they recede into the distance.

We had a picnic lunch under a shade tree by the shore of

Lake Graham.  The only thing missing was a hammock

to take an afternoon nap with the cool breeze of the

lake blowing gently.  But, alas, we got back to painting.

My third demo of the day in the afternoon was a scene of a tree branch

reflecting in a pool of water on the lake shore.

There was a painting everywhere you looked on this

glorious day of painting.

Be sure and check on our Third Day of the

workshop.  The weather was cold, windy and rainy

so we painted in the nice warm Post Office Museum in town.

SIDE TRIP

Debi, one of the ladies in the paint group lived

on the other side of the lake and invited us to come

see the water flooding her pasture where the spillway is on

her property.  We also saw her herd of goats.

There was a baby goat just born the night before. 

The little baby goat was so cute and

very wobbly on its little legs.  Mama was very protective.

Ginger, Debi's dog wanted to be in a picture. See photos below.

Such a nice ending to a wonderful day!

This is a flooded pasture.  The spillway is under water

to the right of the road where it goes into the water and

picks up again on the other side.

When dry, this is a pasture area.

Less than a day old baby goat.

Toooo Cute!!!!

A Gathering of Goats at Lake Graham! 

Ginger says Bye, Bye for now,

Come back soon!

One Final note.  Beth, Debi and I ate at the Wildcatter Restaurant Wednesday

evening.  Great food, great scenery looking over the Brazos River valley

and great company.