East Moriches Sunflower Field

 My plein air group, PALS, visits this wonderful sunflower field in East Moriches every year. The owner of the field has his workers come and plant sunflowers every year for the community to enjoy. He has the field fenced in so the deer don't get inside and last year started leaving buckets with sunflower bouquets for the public to take for free. I guess that keeps the public from wandering in and cutting the flowers at random. Each year I try to find a different perspective to use for my painting.

Christmas in the Air

Tuesday was the last day for the year that my plein air group, PALS, met to paint. Our last location is always the Bayport Flower House. By this time of year it is usually too cold to be outside painting (unless you are in a mobile studio) so we happily paint the decorations inside. There is an entire large greenhouse filled with nothing but poinsettias in all different colors. There are so many choices for paintings. This year I selected this Christmas milk can filled with ferns, pinecones and big bells. Several of my paintings done here have been used for my annual Christmas card. Our last day there always fills us with the holiday spirit and spurs us on to get ready for our annual exhibit and sale.

 

Inktober Day 15 - Waterdrinker Family Farm

Today my plein air group, PALS, met at Waterdrinker Family Farm in Manorville. There were animals and a corn maze, a pumpkin patch, a sunflower field, and assorted other autumn decorations. I did an actual painting first facing the farm building and then did an Inktober Day 15 sketch of one of the arrangements of hay bales, flowers, etc. The painting is 8 x 10 and is nearly finished...just a bit more tweaking.

#inktober

#inktober2019

I will be out of town for a wedding for the next few days but have scheduled Inktober posts for the days I will be gone. I may not be able to get to visit your blogs but I will catch up on all of your posts when I get back.

Inktober Day 2 at the Peconic Herb Farm

Yesterday my plein air group, PALS, met at the Peconic Herb Farm to paint. I did a view of one of the flower arrangements outside one of the greenhouses. It isn't quite finished yet, but it is close. 

I was happy we were there because for a long time I have wanted to sketch/paint this window filled with glass bottles that is inside one of the small buildings. I used my Elegant Writer Pen to sketch this for Inktober Day 2.

#inktober

#inktober2019

Inktober 2018 - Day 23

My Tuesday plein air group went to Frank Melville Park in Setauket today to paint. We were hoping for some autumn colors but there wasn't much yet. I did get a bit of color fix working on that painting but it isn't quite finished yet. I will post it when it is. I took a break for lunch and figured I might as well go back and do my Day 23 sketch for Inktober 2018 while I was up there. (Setauket is on the north shore of Long Island, about 25 minutes directly north of me.) When I went back I sat looking toward the bridge that is over by the watermill.

#inktober, #inktober2018

PGSB Part 2

For my next painting location I joined my plein air group, PALS, at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Oakdale. It is within the boundaries of Paint the Great South Bay. There is an area near the dahlia garden that is a community garden. I did that view. You can see a lot of blue in the painting because I was using the method I learned in Porto for using indigo for the shadows.

Here is the finished painting.

 

My friend, Mary O'Connor took a photo of me while I was working.

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.

Avalon Preserve

My PALS plein air group met at Avalon Preserve in Stony Brook on Tuesday. The fields are filled with wildflowers that grow up to about 6 feet high. You have to walk to find a spot where you can see over the flowers. Hidden between the flowers you could just see two barns. Summer camp was being held in one of them and the voices of the kids could be heard across the field.

Sayville Garden Tour

My plein air group, PALS, was invited to participate in the Sayville Garden Tour that took place today. We previously did quick pen and pencil sketches for their brochure, but today was the actual tour. People picked up their tickets at the Gillette House in Sayville where we had a show hanging of mostly floral themed paintings.

There were 6 gardens in the tour and artists were assigned for morning sessions or afternoon sessions at the different gardens. I chose to do one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

From 11 -1 o'clock I was at a garden on Sunrise Avenue in Sayville. When I was there originally I sketched a cherub near the pergola that goes to the koi pond. 

Today I focused on the pergola itself with the view through to the tree and the koi pond. If you look closely you can see the cherub on the left.  Why did I select that view? I just loved the pergola with the pink flowers on top and winding through it. 

Here is the view I saw.

And here is my painting (8 x 10) which was purchased by the homeowners. Yay!!!

Another artist, my friend Jean, was painting at the other end of the garden.

While we were painting we were serenaded by musicians playing on the patio.

At 1 o'clock I moved to the second garden on Seville Blvd. When I was there the last time I sketched the fish water feature by the pond in the yard.

Today I never got past the front view of the house which I think was just lovely. There were beds of flowers, unusual trees in greens and reds and a great house with great windows.

Since I got a bit of a late start here I decided to only do a 5 x 7 painting, but I was very happy with the way  it came out. Here I am at work in front of the house.

The owners both loved it but didn't offer to buy it. 

They already had a painting from one of the artists who painted there in the morning.

I did go around the back of the house when I finished painting and found my friend, Muriel painting in the back garden by the musicians.

It was a really nice day at lovely locations!

Bayport Flower House

Today the PALS plein air group met at the Bayport Flower House on Montauk Highway in Bayport.

We were lucky to be allowed inside as well as outside to paint, because it was cold and windy outside.

Inside it was downright balmy! I was so glad I hadn't put on my thermal underware because I was too hot. I said to Jeanne that I wanted to go get my bathing suit that was out in the car. Of course some of us were in the greenhouse and the sun was shining which just made it seem hotter.

Regardless, there were tons of poinsettias displayed in all colors. It was a bit overwhelming.

I painted it anyway, complete with this big poinsettia tree. I didn't know they grew into trees.

Here I am tucked down one of the aisles of poinsettias with my easel.

Jeanne was painting in the same greenhouse facing the other way.

Linda was inside the shop.

Mary was inside too. Chris was the only brave one who painted outdoors and I didn't get a photo of her today. Sorry Chris!

My thanks to the owners and staff at the Baypoint Flower House for letting us

set up and take over for a few hours. 

Andrews Farm Revisited

Today my Tuesday morning art group, PALS (see the blog list on the right) returned to the Andrews & Sons Family Farm in Calverton. Denise Andrews, the sales manager, has been so welcoming to our group. I swear she sets up the colorful displays with us in mind. It was a cool, windy day but that didn't deter us. We all dressed warmly and painted away.

This is 8 x 10.

Here are some photos from the day.

The chickens out back.

Laurie trying to keep warm.

Jeanne and Arlene (who brought donuts again).

Laurie #2 painting the flowers.

Marlene doing her pastel magic.

Susan using a riot of color.

Rosamaria, Marlene, and Susan swapping stories.

Kayak Beach

On Tuesday four members of the PALS Plein Air Limner Society headed over to Shelter Island.

We took the ferry from Sag Harbor and then we were off.

This was done on Ram's Head Island on part of the property of the Ram's Head Inn.

It was a great spot to paint.

Here is my painting against the scene.

Here is a photo of all of us on the beach there.

Here are Susan, Laurie, Liz, Jeanne, and myself.

After the first painting we went to lunch at Captain Cody's Seafood Shop.
The food was great! Here we are again.

Our next stop was the tiny town of Deering Harbor.

I painted a restaurant overlooking the water.

Lavender Field

Today the PALS Plein Air painters met at Lavender By the Bay in East Marion on the north fork of Long Island. The English lavender is in bloom right now and really looks super.

Here is the first painting I did there today.

Vanderzalm Greenhouse

My PALS plein air group met yesterday to paint. Luckily Jean Salucci picked a spot that offered indoor painting, because it was pouring outside. Vanderzalm Greenhouses in Bellport had a number of colorful buildings to paint in. This was my favorite. This painting is 8 x 10.