#30x30DirectWatercolor2018 - Day 30 - Gate with Flowers

This is my day 30 painting for the #30x30DirectWatercolor2018 challenge. Our temperature today was supposed to be in the low 90s, so I headed out early to do my painting before it got too hot. I did this sitting alongside a home in Sayville. 

I have to say that working directly in watercolor has its benefits. It does make me observe things closely so I can see where the different colors fit. Landscapes and flowers seem to be easier than people or architecture. Anything that involves perspective is normally a challenge and a double challenge when you can't change things if they are wrong. I think direct watercolor can be useful at times, but I will be happy to be able to get back to using ink and sometimes pencil with my watercolors again.

#30x30DirectWatercolor2018 - Day 29 - Dinner

#30x30DirectWatercolor2018 is nearly over. Today's painting is dinner too.

#30x30DirectWatercolor2018 - Day 28 - Islip & Patchogue

We had rain this morning and very overcast skies for most of the day. I went out to do some shopping and stopped in Islip on the way home. I've painted and sketched at White Cap Fish Market before, but today I did a small sketch of one of the small buildings. Here is my day 28 piece for #30x30DirectWatercolor2018.

Before I ran out to do my shopping I worked on the painting/sketch I had been doing at Arts on Terry on Sunday. There were a lot of other artists painting outdoors, but I don't think any others besides my friends from the Patchogue Sketch Club were actually sketching what they saw. Most were working on something from a photo or something sketched out ahead of time.  Some were working on huge canvases. I'm also posting the photo my friend, Michele DePaolo took of me on Sunday just in case you didn't see yesterday's post.

#30x30DirectWatercolor2018 - Day 27 - Sayville Charm

I have painted this house in Sayville before, but riding past it today I couldn't help but stop and concentrate on the windows, shutters, window box and fence. This is my day 27 painting for the #30x30DirectWatercolor2018 challenge.

My friend, Michele DePaolo took a photo of me at the Arts on Terry event on Sunday with the painting I was doing. I've been too busy to finish this yet, but will post it when it is done.

#30x30DirectWatercolor2018 - Day 26 - Planter

This morning I was out with my plein air group working on a larger painting which I didn't finish. It needs a bit more work. There is a large flag in it that took a lot of my time because it kept moving. I will post it when I complete it. Maybe I'll save it for the 4th of July. I came home and went to the pool in my complex and again I needed a painting for the #30x30DirectWatercolor2018 challenge. So I looked around...planned on doing a lady lounging by the pool but before I could get my supplies out she left. I decided to concentrate on something that would stay put, so I did one of the planters around the pool area.

#30x30DirectWatercolor2018 - Day 25 - Cocktail, Please

After yesterday's very busy day at Arts on Terry today was spent relaxing with friends on the beach. I didn't pull out a brush the entire time we were there, so that meant I needed to find something at home to paint for day 25 of the #30x30DirectWatercolor2018 challenge. I reached for a bottle of Stella Artois beer that was in the fridge...I painted it but didn't drink it. lol The writing on bottles or anything is a real challenge to do directly in watercolors because it is so easy to lose the letters.

#30x30DirectWatercolor - Day 24 - At the Art Show

Today one of my art groups, The South Bay Art Association was participating in a big art event in Patchogue called Arts on Terry. I co-chaired the event for our group's display area with another member of our board. I was there from 8:15 to 6:15. I did manage to squeeze in a quick painting of some artists across from us for the #30x30DirectWatercolor2018 challenge.

#30x30DirectWatercolor2018 - Day 23 - Farmer's Market & More Tiles

Today was an overcast, cool day with showers forecast. I headed over to the Saturday Farmer's Market in Sayville. I figured I could sit in my car to paint since it was misting at that point, and then I could shop. I almost always miss the Saturday market because I'm usually in the city.

Here are more tiles that I dropped off to sell at the Catbird Seat.

#30x30DirectWatercolor2018 - Day 22 - Sayville House & New Tiles

I've been busy this week so getting out for a quick painting for my day 22 of #30x30DirectWatercolor2018 was my goal this morning. I found a cute house in Sayville.

My friend, Debbie who owns the Catbird Seat in Sayville has been selling my alcohol ink tiles in her shop. The other day she conacted me and told me they were flying out the door. All of the sea creatures had sold so I have to do more of those. I had left her about a dozen tiles two weeks ago and all that was left were three. So this week I did some to replenish her supply. Here is the first group. The lobster is 6 x 6. All the others are about 4 x 4.

I also taught an alcohol ink class at her shop last night. I forgot to take photos but I know she took one at the end of the class. I'll post that once she uploads it.

#30x30DirectWatercolor2018 - Day 21 - Patchogue House

Today I stopped in Patchogue to do my day 21 painting for the #30x30DirectWatercolor2018 painting.

#30x30DirectWatercolor2018 - Day 20 - Commission & At the Park

Today was a busy day artwise. I was commissioned to do a painting of a house for a couple who bought another piece of artwork from me a few weeks ago. They wanted a matching sized piece to the one they bought which was a panoramic piece. It was a cute house with a lot of good details. Here is the pencil sketch I did first.

And the painting in progress...

Here is the finished painting.

The homeowners loved it!

Tonight my sketch group met in Patchogue. Part of the time was spent discussing the upcoming art event we are part of on Sunday, but I did find a bit of time for my day 20 #30x30DirectWatercolor2018 painting. Two of the other sketchers were my subjects.

#30x30DirectWatercolor2018 - Day 19 - Bridge Gardens

Today the PALS Plein Air Group that I belong to took a trip to Bridge Gardens in Bridgehampton which is about an hour and 10 minutes east of me. It is part of the Peconic Land Trust which is accumulating land out there to be preserved as gardens and open land. The garden is really pretty with a water lily pond, some English gardens, a rose arbor, etc. I began the day (which was very hot) in the shade from a building near the lily pond. This is 8 x 10 and is not my direct watercolor painting.

I had a little time before we were leaving so I did a quick direct watercolor of part of the garden. This was done in about 15 minutes and is 5 x 7.

#30x30DirectWatercolor2018 - Day 18 - Shaded House

I wanted to do a painting for day 18 of the #30x30DirectWatercolor2018 challenge but didn't have a lot of time today. I have passed this house thousands of times but the shadow and light on it this morning captured my attention. I sat in my car across the street from this house and completed this in about 20 minutes. It is a small painting, probably about 5x7.

#30x30DirectWatercolor2018 - Day 17 - At the Beach

I needed a day to relax so I headed over to Smith Point Beach today. It was a beautiful, warm, sunny day Of course I brought along my art supplies to get my day 17 direct watercolor painting done. Since it was Father's Day it seemed a good subject would be this dad and his little girl.

#30x30DirectWatercolor2018 - Sayville Garden Tour

Today was the Sayville Garden Tour. I had previewed the gardens when I did the black and white sketches of them so I picked the two gardens I wanted to paint in. This is the view of the first garden. There were many spots I would have loved to paint but most of them were in direct sun and it would have been too hot on this very sunny day. I found a very shady spot and painted this view toward the house. I even put in the home owner, Donna. She loved the painting and bought it. Yay!!!

The second garden property had all these fun spots. This one had a pink pig tucked into the foliage.

Yes...I know...I needed a direct watercolor painting for today. Each garden had musicians...a jazz group in the first garden and these two ladies playing in the second. I had a little time after painting the garden itself, so I turned and painted the two musicians as my day 15 painting for #30x30DirectWatercolor2018. They were so delighted that I painted them and kept telling me that I made them look better than in real life. lol They were sweet.

#30x30DirectWatercolor - Days 14 & 15

I did catch up and do two direct watercolor paintings today. This first one is of the front of an Italian specialty market here. I sat in my car to paint it since the parking lot is super busy. I backed into the space so I could see this view.

Today was a pretty overcast day. I went down by the bay in Sayville to paint by the water.

Pink Tree with House

Believe it or not I did not get a painting done for the challenge today. I met a friend for lunch and was stuck in traffic for quite a while and then I had a board meeting for one of my art groups tonight that ran late. This painting is one that was done before I left for Australia but I never got it posted...or I don't think I did. lol I will have to catch up tomorrow and do two paintings directly in watercolor.

#30x30DirectWatercolor2018 - Day 13 - Garden Gate

Today was an overcast, humid day with showers on and off, but I headed out for a while to find a subject for day 13 of the #30x30DirectWatercolor2018. I didn't go far...just into Sayville. I had seen this view the other day when I was driving and it looked like there would be parking and a view from my car. I lucked out because by the time I was nearly finished it started showering again.

By about 6 the weather was pretty clear so the Patchogue Sketch Club was able to sit outside tonight to sketch along Main Street. I found a view of the Brickhouse Brewery that I liked. My friend, Cindy was sketching the same view so we sat there chatting the whole time we were sketching.

#30x30DirectWatercolor2018 - Day 12 - Stony Brook Harbor

My plein air group met at Stony Brook Harbor this morning. I've painted there many times so I wanted a bit of a different view, so I walked in the sand along the rocks to a spot where I could look pack toward the town. There was a kayak rental there and I asked the guy running things if he thought the tide was going to come up much more. He thought it was pretty much at high tide. So I set up my easel, got out my materials which were on a large rock, and noticed that the water was nearly up to my sneakers. I climbed up on the rock and moved all my supplies except the easel to higher ground. As you can see from this photo the water continued to rise a bit so it was a wise move. I think at the highest the water was up about 3-4 inches on the legs of the tripod. Sitting on the rock wasn't the most comfortable way to paint, but the rock was flat enough that nothing rolled off or landed in the water...and I stayed dry.  lol By the time I finished the painting the tide had gone down and there was sand to walk on again.

Here is my day 12 painting that I completed for the #30x30DirectWatercolor challenge. This is the largest of the direct watercolor paintings I've done. Most have been 5 x 7 or smaller. This is 8 x 10.

#30x30DirectWatercolor2018 - Day 11 - Tiger Lily Cafe

Today I drove up to Port Jeff to see an exhibit of paintings that were hung while I was away and contains 3 of my paintings. Since I was already up there I looked for a scene for my direct watercolor painting.

#30x30DirectWatercolor2018

#30x30DirectWatercolor2018 - Day 10 - Garden Sketches

My very generous friend, Susan invited two of us to come and paint the peonies that were blooming in her garden...after breakfast at the diner. (We needed sustenance for painting.) This is 5 x 7 and was done for the #30x30DirectWatercolor2018 challenge. Peonies are hard because they are sort of shaped like a ball...but not like a ball, with crazy irregular petals...and lots of them. lol This probably took me nearly 2 hours.

When I finished the peonies I wanted to do a small direct watercolor of the foxgloves. My small sketchbook is square and the pages weren't long enough to fit everything so I did this one on the diagonal.

I posted a few of the black & white garden sketches for the Sayville Garden Tour the other day. Here are the sketches done for the other 3 gardens.

Garden 4

Garden 5

Garden 6

Bellport Garden Tour & #30x30DirectWatercolor2018 Quickie

Today was the Bellport Garden Tour. This year it only included homes with pools. There were 6 gardens but I only saw the ones I was assigned to. I had 2 hours to pick a scene and paint it in each garden.

The first garden's pool area attracted me...I was ready to dive in.

The second property had a pool and assorted small buildings and quirky things around the back of the pool. One was an aviary, one was a storage building, and one was a small guest cottage. Believe it or not, this building below is a storage area. I don't know what is stored inside, but I thought it was nice enough to live in. Don't you love the dog statue in front of it?

Both of the paintings above were drawn in pencil first, so I hadn't completed my day 9 direct watercolor painting for the #30x30DirectWatercolor2018 yet. I decided to paint something that would have a dual purpose...to fit the challenge and be something on the WetCanvas Scavenger Hunt which I'm hosting. This qualified as "something sweet."

#30x30DirectWatercolor2018 - Day 8 - Week's Boatyard & Ink Sketches

Today I headed to Week's Boatyard in Patchogue for my daily painting for the #30x30DirectWatercolor2018. There is always a view of something there. lol I've painted many of them.

I never got to post these. Right after I got back from Australia the organizer for the Bellport Garden Tour contacted me and the other members of the PALS Plein Air Group. We will be painting in their garden tour next Saturday and they were looking for small black and white sketches of the selected gardens to use in their brochure that is handed out. A few of us did the rounds of the gardens doing quick sketches of something in each. These each took me about 15 minutes. Here are gardens #1-3.

Garden #1

Garden #2

Garden #3

This Saturday we are participating in the Bellport Garden Tour. It will be a busy day.