Dahlias

 My plein air group usually goes to the Bayard Cutting Arboretum to paint a few times each year. We headed back on the property to the dahlia garden for some beautiful flowers.

Daffs at the Arboretum

 We had some damp, very windy days so my mobile studio came in handy. I was hoping that some of the trees would be in bloom at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum in locations where I could see them from the parking lot, but that didn't happen. I could see large areas of blooming daffodils, so I settled for that. Right before I pulled into a space a man had been over by the flowers. He came back to his car with a fistful of daffodils that he handed to his girlfriend/wife and they drove away. Although it is called a "cutting" arboretum picking the flowers is not allowed!

Magnolia Blossoms

 It is hard for me to pass up magnolia blossoms without painting them. This was done at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Great River.

30 x 30 Direct Watercolor - Day 9

I painted a rhododendron at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum for my Day 9 of the 30 x 30 Direct Watercolor Challenge. I wasn't too happy with the way this turned out. I couldn't even get close to the color and lost the transparency of the petals. I may have had more luck if I was working bigger. This is 5 x 7.

This was a mini direct watercolor I did there too. Yellow flowers are so difficult to do with watercolors.  Shading the petals poses problems.

 

Emmanuel Episcopal Church

I was looking for something that inspired a sketch and was passing by the Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Great River. Believe it or not, I attempted this one directly in ink. It was a real challenge!

Arboretum Autumn

Yesterday I took a ride to the Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Great River to look for colorful trees. It was cold and I wasn't planning to sketch outside, so I needed to be able to park somewhere with a view. This spot attracted me.

Arboretum View

One day last week I headed over to the Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Great River to see if there was any exciting views of the foliage. I found this curving branch with all the color around it.

Inktober - Day 4

I love ink pens that bleed and can be used for shading, like the Tombow that I used for this. I did this sketch from my car at the Timber Ridge Golf Course parking lot in Great River. I was hoping to see some golfers that I could sketch into it, but they were too far away...same for the golf carts.

#inktober #inktober2016

Arboretum Path

Right now the leaves on the trees here are at their peak, and I have been trying to paint them every day. This was done last week with my PALS Plein Åir group at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Great River. This is 8 x 10. There will be more of these colorful paintings to come.

Arboretum Colors

Recently I took a trip to the Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Great River to see if the trees had started changing colors yet. There was a bit of color but it wasn't at it's peak by any means. I decided I liked the view of the barn with the fall veggies that were still growing...and the trees to add a pop of color. Hopefully I will get out this week to paint the colors since they are really starting to appear out here.

At the Dahlia Garden

Today my plein air group (PALS) met at the dahlia garden at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Great River. The dahlias were gorgeous...and they haven't even reached their peak yet. They should be around until October.

I don't usually do individual flowers, but I figured I would give it a go. It was hard to decide which one to pick as a subject since each one is so different. This is 5 x 7.

Here is the painting against the actual view, and a photo of me working on the painting.

Next I did an ATC sized (2.5 x 3.5) little painting of some dahlias.

Here are a few of the other artists at work.

Jeanne

Laurie

Rosamaria

(who I used as a model for my next painting)

This is 5 x 7.

Here I am working on the painting of Rosamaria.

Since the flowers will be in bloom for a while, I'm sure we will go back again.

Here are just a few photos of some of the gorgeous flowers.

See why I had such a hard time deciding which one to paint?

Manor House Porch

This was painted in plein air at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Great River. I've painted this spot a few times, most recently when the wisteria was in bloom. This is 8 x 10.

Wisteria on the Porch

This was painted in plein air on Saturday at the Bayard Cutting Arboreum in Great River. I was afraid I had missed the wisteria in bloom, and it is so beautiful there at that time of year. This is 5 x 7.