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Bright Breezy and Beautiful Day

What a day!!!The weather for today, after rain and gray and rain, was picture perfect at least until we finished painting. It rained later today but we got'er done. Tim and I sat on Blvd St. in front of the courthouse looking north and east. Tim painted 6th and I painted the old Senger Bldg. looking toward the The Amateur Circus Capital of the World.

Amateur Circus Capital of the World.(bottom left)
A few folks stopped...midway a lady stopped to look at my work which was mid way looking very rough..she looked and said nothing like I had committed abstraction. Oh, well. We had fun...

A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT

........a river runs thought it..
Today, we stopped at Lost Bridge again as the Eel river  was at a record stage. In the 30 + years I couldn't remember it being that high. Tim and Carolyn painted on the bridge looking down and up river. I couldn't find the mocha brown water that filled the watercourse that exciting..but the tire marks on the road leading to the bridge caught my attention. Apparently somebody didn't like the idea the bridge was closed and turned around and peeled out cranking an armful of gears in the process...This is the road to my old HS where I taught. I can just see a Junior or Sophomore arriving late for school taking the Lost Bridge shortcut and getting stopped dead in their tracks. The sun was out the road a variety of grays and blues and those dark black rubber tread marks. Pink was the only color that would highlight and work with the other colors.

     Tim and Carolyn worked about an hour and a half and were still working when I finished. I walked onto the bridge. Carolyn wasn't too happy with hers but Tim had nailed the scene and was rather satisfied. The first images I took with my phone camera had a finger in the corner of each photo. I had to retake these and edit the color because the lighting had changed. The  probably be a subject we attack again and again but today we are headed into town to tackle the Amateur Circus Capital of the World.

RAINY DAY SATURATED

Cold, Damp Spring.

It's not really conducive to a Plein Air painter's likes, but it's the kind of spring we're having. Friday it's raining and in the lower 50's, so we have to find a place where we will stay dry. Carolyn's went, so there's no painting in the car. We're tired of that anyway. I like for Carolyn to go, also.

 

We drive for awhile and settle in under the awning for the drive-thru of the old American Trust Building. Early spring is only visible in the trees above the buildings and in the rain.

 

Carolyn and I finish our renditions while Spearz is cold and getting rained on. He decides to finish his later. Carolyn's not happy with her work but I'm satisfied with mine. It captures the day pretty well. The picture that Spearz finishes, later, hits it well, too.

 

Monday is dryer but still chilly as we three are out in the country rendering a deserted farm in paints and pastels. If we could only catch a sunny day with bright colors, shadows and blue skies with patchy clouds. But NO! We are all getting good at cloudy, gray days. This is only good for mushrooms!

 

Later!  

JUST AROUND THE CORNER

CAROLYNs
"JUST AROUND THE CORNER"
Tim and I and Carolyn this time..came along to paint with us today. My turn to choose the location. We meaning I drove around the corner from 450 to 400. Tim wanted to paint a filed puddle. By J. Blair's farm was just such a field with a pull off and a series of piddles just as he described.

TIM's
I pulled off the road down a gravel lane which led to a back field.  I set up under the back hatch to keep the direct sunlight off of my paper canvas. When we painted in the car the sunlight was reflected and much less of it affected the color intensity. Now outdoors after along winter painting outdoors changed the color palette we were looking at.

MINE
In the car the palette  was much brighter to make up for the lack of light. Outdoors the palette was less intense since more light was hitting the colors, now. I stated with a prepainted surface using mostly a variety of greens, yellows, and blues which had dried.Carolyn was a "newbie" and didn't know where to start. Tim took her under wing and coached her to start with a sketch. Carolyn can draw and paint but needed encouragement. With little being said we worked at the puddles in the field and the gravel lane. Nearly and hour or more had passed and I felt like I was starting to"dabble" which is clearly and indicator to stop! I'm done I announced. Tim came back, " Yeah I'm almost there too." Carolyn decided she'd quit too. When we stood up and looked a our work for the day all three pieces were a success. That's the payoff. A few hours of out of mind enjoyment and now we were headed to grab a Subway 6" turkey and black forest ham with Jalapeño chips on the side. Is that a fine day or what? Good job, Carolyn. Good job,Tim. Good job,me!

WRIGHTS JUNK YARD A SUBJECT NOT A DESTINATION

Wrights Junkyard became the subject of todays outdoor painting excursion a place to paint  not a destination This is old junk yard has been a place of interest for some time but the last stop was that the "Nays" won. Today was Tim's day to select and after much driving I suggested Wrights. An old blue bus got my attention while Tim took the bigger view of two old yellow school busses and a truck.

This is Tim's The day was somewhat cool but very bright out. The day was good and we enjoyed the company and a Subway.Later a nap is in store for me...Tim? He has to take care of his Higher Ground Farm...chickens can be very demanding.
philandtim, laterrrr.

OVER TROUBLED WATERS

Lost bridge is a story itself and I think I've told the story. The bridge is currently in bad shape...new decking and beams are in order...still the old iron bridge is rusting away...so we decided to paint on the bridge. 


J.O. a teacher where I used to teach joined us. These are his two watercolors. He has done watercolor as long as I have known him. He has reduced the landscape to little more than a calligraphy.

We all worked for about  two hours  on different views. Tim to the west. J.O. to the east and I to the north. No plan, that's just how it worked out. We all have different styles and media/technique. My last watercolors were years ago...acrylic provided the quality I liked in opaque watercolor. So I've stayed with it.

Mine is done with a palette knife on a heavy artist paper. Tim's is pastel on pastel 'toothed' paper that accepts pastel chalks best.This is his below...

Aside from the cold wet weather I painted in the car on the apron of the bridge J.O. and Tim from the bridge center.

Later....

philandtimpaintoutdoors.