Plein air in Amana, IA

8"x10" Oil on board

Above is one of 7 paintings I was able to complete during the "Catiri's Fresh Paint" paint out during labor day weekend.  I'm not exact on numbers, but I believe around 35 artists participated this year. We were literally  treated as celebrities with the red carpet rolled out and photo shots as we entered for the revealing of finished works/awards banquet.

Temperatures soared in the 90's all 3 days of the event.  It was definitely a learning experience for me. WATER! WATER! WATER!  I hate to admit it but my body took a day and half to recover from the pace.  Soooooooooooo out of shape!

 

View of the Iron Bridge

Oil on panel 8"x10"   SOLD

This is the second oil I've created with having the old iron bridge in Bentonsport, IA as the focal point.  It's a view from the front porch of the Iron & Lace store.

Here you can see how I like to create works sized 8x10 and smaller on a support made out of foamboard.  I glue and tape layers of board together to give it strength.  It's much lighter to carry then something made out of wood.  Lately, I've been using cardboard instead of the black foamboard shown here.

Using black or the "brown" cardboard creates a neutral middle value tone that surrounds  a work.  Working on a surface like this helps me keep my easel clean from paint.  A support panel like this also provides a means for me to transport a finished painting without worrying about smearing the wet paint.