Florida Plein Air 2024

 This winter I was on my own looking for sites to paint as I missed hooking up with Shawn Dell Joyce.  The first place I visited was The Boyd Hill nature center that had a magnificent  collection of caged raptors, owls, eagles, hawks.  I wander to the marshy mangrove area where I caught some water fowl feeding.

As my host and good friend Larry wanted to go fishing we rode to the coast off of New Port Richie.  I left him casting, hoping he would catch some grouper.   A bit farther  down the beach I spotted  a family  starting to fish with the accompanying local who thought he owned this spot.

                                                                     

My next trip was a solo drive to a state park, called Honeymoon beach.  It is also the access to Calista Island state park which is only reachable by a ferry.  I painted this view from the terrace of a small cafe at the rest and parking area.

Before I left Florida to return to the chilly north I sought out a nature park in the Trinity area where I was staying.  About two miles from my friend's home was  the perfect spot.  I chose the park information office.

Autumn

 Once again the Walkill River Center for the Arts hosted the Hudson Valley Plein air Festival.  This year it was held at the Warwick Railroad green  in the center of town.  I tried to capture  the old station from a west view.  Over a hundred artist participated using  oils, acrylics, etc.  I worked as usual in watercolor.  Once again the time frame was an issue.  It's hard to feel finished when you have to complete, mat and frame  a picture in two hours. But the group atmosphere is exhilarating.  It is almost a sepia monotone.

Warwick NY station

Another plein air I worked on, back in Sussex County is the Balesville Community Church seen from the rear, looking over the graveyard.

Balesville Community Church

One of the invited demonstrator's at the Sussex County Art Society showed how to do "coffee painting."  It was fascinating, especially creating three values, dark, medium and light of the almost sepia brown. from a mixture of instant coffee and water.  When I tried this in my studio I decided to add a little green and orange tones.

Cafe Pierot in Sparta