Pewaukee Lake Plein Air Event

Last weekend was the annual Classic Old Boat Show and Art Fair. Last year I just showed up and was amazed by the boats; lots of those old Chris-Craft's and Thompson "woodies". Since I'm a boat owner myself (fiberglass), I just love boating and the water.

This is the boat I ended up painting

Pewaukee Lake is located about 20 miles west of Milwaukee. Six miles long, it's one of the largest lakes in the state. On the east end is the quaint downtown area of Pewaukee. Lots of Indian named towns in Wisconsin, it this is no different. The weather was superb! Sunny and about 75* you really couldn't ask for a better day. I got there at 6:30am to scope a first painting scene out...and to register by 7 because I had to be somewhere at 8:30.

What caught my eye was the deserted beach area, except for a flock of seagulls, the calm water, and the roped off swimming area. A seagull was sitting on a No Swimming Buoy, so it seemed to be a nice little subject.

So off I went. I had 45 minutes to get this quick plein air painting done, packed up, and back in my car. the result is below: "Awaiting the Day" 8x10 oil

I came back later with the idea to take on one of the boats. There were about 30 of the sweetest old wood boats around. And there were plenty of artists, already staked out. But, I saw the one I wanted and had about 1.5 hrs to get it done before they closed the competition. The result was...

"One in a Million" 11x14 Oil

The sun moved as it does, and I got hung up on a few details but in the end all was good and I had fun. A woman asked me if that was "her husband's boat?" Heck I don't know, let's go look. We did. It wasn't. But she asked if I could paint it for his upcoming birthday. So, a commission. Better than winning some stupid old ribbon anyway.

139 and Counting

For some dumb reason I walked into a closet I have downstairs and wondered how many paintings I had in there. So I started counting. These are paintings/drawings I've completed over the last 12 years.

10 years is about the amount of time I got "back into" my art. During 2000 when I lived in Grand Rapids, MI I took a class on figure drawing. It was fun. Then I found a local arts group called Grand Valley Artists, GVA. This was more fun, and I met some very well known national artists; Jim Markel PSA, Larry Blovets, and a few more. It got me back into art, something I had given up during the previous 10 years as I pursued a career and got married.

So around the house I went. And in the end...not counting a drawer full of smaller canvases and my "paper" box of sketches and pastel works: 139 pieces. I was kind of shocked. I've also got, without going to my inventory list, another 40 pieces at galleries and two dentist offices.

139 and still counting. I need to have a show, even if it's my own private show just to look at how far I've come as an artist. Maybe I'll do that. Stay tuned.