Fire Island Paint Out & News

On the Friday of Memorial Day Weekend, the Wet Paints Studio Group organized a paint out at the Fire Island Lighthouse. Artists were invited to come on Friday or Saturday and paint somewhere on the grounds near the lighthouse. I've done his paint out several times and always enjoy it. The pieces created are now hanging in the lens house of the lighthouse and are for sale, with part of the proceeds going toward the lighthouse.

My first painting is 8 x 10 and was painted from the eastern end of Robert Moses Field 5. I like that view with the lighthouse peeking out behind the dunes.

The paintings had to be brought to the lens house which is about 3/4 of a mile walk from the parking lot. I framed the painting above, put it in my cart, and took another 2 frames (I was being optomistic) and the materials I would need to get them ready to hang. I walked nearly to the lens house and found another view of the lighthouse that I liked. 

There was a lot of foot traffic going back and forth to the lighthouse and a lot of people stopped to see what I was doing and chat with me for a few minutes. One person who stopped by came over and asked me if I was Joan. He recognized me from Facebook where we are friends. We hadn't met in person before. Needless to say that with all the socializing I only got one more painting done. When I finished framing the painting I headed over to the lens house. A few artist friends were there painting, so I relaxed for a few minutes before I turned in my paintings. My thanks to Carol Corbett who always organizes this event. The paintings will be hanging there for sale until the end of the month. This painting was smaller...5 x 7.

This weekend the South Bay Art Association had their 64th Annual Members Show. I had been out painting on Saturday but made it back in time to head over to the reception in Bellport. When I got there I found out that I had received a ribbon for 1st place in watercolors. I was surprised and thrilled. My painting is at the top.

 

Usk Sketchmas Day 18 - Dog or Cat & Museum Trip

 The Sketchmas prompt yesterday was a "dog or cat." I don't have any pets and didn't really want to disturb a friend to go over and do a pet portrait. So I went to Petco and stood by their window to the grooming station. The dog I picked stood pretty still, but the groomer kept moving around and blocking my view. Also, I couldn't see the dog's paws because there were boxes blocking my view. I did the sketch on site but added the color at home.

On Saturday one of my art groups, Wet Paints, had a bus trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was a free trip for members...only guests had to pay. How could I pass that up? The museum had several great exhibits so I wasn't planning to spend the day sketching like I usually do. Along with two friend from the group I went to view the Manet/Degas Exhibition which was really good and extensive. Manet & Degas were friends and often painted in the same areas and used the same models. The curator of the exhibit showed a painting of each of theirs and the info by the paintings discussed how the two paintings were related. I learned a lot about both of them.

The second exhibit was titled "Vertigo of Color: Matisse, Derain, and the Origins of Fauvism." The two artists redefined color as they painted with colors that they sensed rather than the natural hues of what they were seeing. It was a color explosion.

The final exhibit we saw was "Women Dressing Women" which explored many of the women fashion designers from The Met's permanent collection from the turn of the century to the present day. My favorites were some of the older fashions.

The Met's Christmas tree with the beautiful angels merited a stop too.

But I did have about 30 minutes to do a sketch before we were due back on the bus. My friend Liz was sketching in front of me.

Paint Out at the Lighthouse

For the past few years the Wet Paints Studio Group in Sayville(of which I am a member) has organized a paint out at the Fire Island Lighthouse on Friday and Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend. This morning I headed over to Robert Moses State Park where the lighthouse stands. Although it was beautiful and sunny, it was very windy which made painting outdoors a bit difficult. You need to come prepared to mat, frame, and hang your paintings, so I had lots of materials with me.

I started out in the parking lot near the dunes. I parked so that my car was blocking most of the wind with a view of the dune foliage and the lighthouse. I had a frame that would fit a 5 x 12 inch painting without a mat, so I painted that exact size making sure I painted to the very ends of the paper.

Next I decided to brave the elements and head over near the lighthouse where I was sure some of the other artists would be working. I have a shopping cart and I put all my framing materials in it, my lunch, and hung my chair on the outside. I decided it was too windy to bother dragging my easel. There is a nice boardwalk that leads from the parking lot over to the lighthouse with a walk that is about 0.8 miles one way. There were quite a few other artists painting from the deck by the lens house since the building was blocking some of the wind. I set up looking toward the ocean and painted with the painting board held tightly in my lap. This painting is 5 x 7. 

The paintings are hung in the lens house building next to the lighthouse and will be on display and for sale until June 10th. I took the completed paintings inside to frame them. The panoramic one went well, but I dropped the glass for the second frame. I spent a while picking up all the glass shards...especially the tiny ones since there are so many people who walk around there in flip flops or barefoot. Luckily I had a spare frame that was the correct size. I had hoped to do a third painting but the only other frame was for an 8 x 10 painting and I didn't really have the time to work on a bigger one.

Here is a photo of the paintings that were completed and hung before I left. Mine are the top left and third one down on the left. Tomorrow is supposed to be another nice day so I am sure there will be more artists participating then. I am heading into NYC so I won't be joining them.

Fire Island Lighthouse Paintout

I belong to Wet Paint Studio Group and for the last few years we have been having a 2 day paintout at the Fire Island Lighthouse. For some reason this year it was scheduled for the Friday and Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend, a very busy time. I hoped to go on Friday but the weather wasn't great and I didn't want to get stuck far from my car if it started raining. My plan was to go on Saturday but get there before all the people who were celebrating the holiday. It can get extremely crowded there on the weekend.

I left home about 6:15 am, picked up a bagel and coffee for breakfast, and then realized I had left my lunch at home. (Presently there is no food available at this beach due to remodeling). I turned around, went home and was at Robert Moses State Park Field 5 at 6:45. I had my breakfast, used the porta-potty (the ladies room at the concession is also closed), grabbed all my materials and headed out to paint. I've painted there so many times that I really wanted a different view. I walked all the way past the lighthouse and down to the dock. I was able to stand about halfway out so I could get a view of the water as well as the lighthouse. 

For my second piece I moved closer to the lighthouse along the walkway in front of the lighthouse.

By this time I was ready for a lunch break...and so were most of the other artists who were in various places painting too. The staff at the lighthouse had a room set aside for us with coffee, treats and comfy chairs for us to relax for a while. It felt so good to sit down since I had been standing for about  5 hours already.

For those who have never done a paint out, in addition to your painting supplies you have to be ready to hang your artwork. So in my cart that I brought along with me I had mats and frames as well as anything I  thought I might need to get the paintings ready to hang. I brought along 3 frames so I figured I might as well do one more for the last frame. This is the boat house and after I painted it a docent came along and opened it to the public.

Our group now has about 23 paintings hanging for sale in the lens house next to the lighthouse. They will be there for the next 2 weeks.

Here is my setup for the first painting. I had an umbrella up until I finished painting the sky. The sun was behind me and I didn't want the sky to dry before I got all the blue done.

Here is part of the painting against the view.

Remembering

This weekend we are celebrating Memorial Day, a time we honor the men and woman who have died in service to our country. One of my art associations, the Wet Paints Studio Group had our members show this weekend. Included in the show was a section devoted to paintings that honor those who served or paintings that show patriotism. I knew exactly what I wanted to paint.

My father-in-law served in Europe during World War II in the Air Force. He has a shadowbox containing a photo of himself being awarded a medal and two different medals as well as his battalion insignia. I borrowed them, took them out of the box and rearranged them to create a painting. The title of this is "Honored" and it is 8 x 10.

I am behind in posting my EDM sketches. Here they are.

May 21 - where I sit to read

May 22 - something attached to my wall

May 23 - interesting detail to a building

May 24 - some keys

Paintout at the Lighthouse - Part 1

The Wet Paints Studio Group did their annual paintout at the Fire Island Lighthouse at Robert Moses State Park on Friday and Saturday. I didn't think I would be able to paint there on Saturday so I made sure I was free the whole day on Friday. This is one of my favorite views of the FIL and it is from the bird viewing platform. I like that you can see the Atlantic Ocean on the right and the Great South Bay on the left. Aside from being at the top of the lighthouse, I don't think you get that view from anywhere else.

We started out with an overcast day and it was windy and cold. I bundled up and just hoped my painting wouldn't blow away. I did tape it to my support on my easel just in case.

Here is the painting that I did. This is about 6 x 15.

Here is the view that I saw.

And here I am all bundled up...ready for anything.

In the above photo you can see my friend, Gina, standing and painting on the ground off over my left shoulder.

EDM - May 17 - something used to measure

Max

Last Tuesday my sketch group from Wet Paints in Sayville had Max as a model. This young man was so good and didn't move at all. If someone asked him a question he answered without moving his lips. He even kept his arms raised in this pose. Looking at this now, I see that I made his glove too small.

Lenno, Varenna and Tremezzo

Somehow yesterday I missed posting this painting of Tremezzo's waterfront.

Next to explore was the town of Lenno which was further down the lake. I had some really pretty views.

With all the traveling I was doing by ferry I did some small thumbnails of some of the stops of the mid-lake ferry.

This was sketched along the promenade of Lenno.

I loved this Lenno building all covered with plants and foliage.

Each night in Varenna I would watch the sunsets. 

I enjoyed seeing the colors and the mountains in the distance.

In an unrelated part of the post...I need to share. One of the art associations I belong to, the Wet Paints Studio Group had their juried member's show over the weekend. My collage "Sunset" won first place in the mixed media category. It was done with washi oriental papers that I painted first with watercolors.

Mavis

Last week I joined the WetPaints Studio Group for their sketch night.

Mavis, the niece of one of the members, posed for us.

Paintout at the Fire Island Lighthouse

Today the Wet Paints Studio Group which I belong to had a Paintout at the Fire Island Lighthouse. My thanks to Carol and Patty for all their work in organizing things.

Fire Island is a barrier island off the south shore of Long Island, and has a beautiful lighthouse. It is accessible by car and is at the eastern end of Robert Moses State Park. We had about a dozen artists participate today and it was the perfect day to sit out and paint...sunshine and a bit of a breeze..and only a few pesky insects.

There are two boardwalks that you have to walk across to get to the lighthouse, but you can see it as soon as you get to the end of the parking area. The boardwalk zigzags back and forth and you are treated to different glimpses of it as you walk.

I arrived early so that I wouldn't have to sit in traffic (It is a very popular beach.), so I was there about 8:30am this morning. As soon as I got to the boardwalk I saw my friend, Bill, who was already working on his first painting. Here he is in action.

There are such great views along the walk.

I continued down the boardwalk and found a spot to paint. This is the first painting I did.

When I finished I walked the rest of the way to the lighthouse.

I passed Laurie on the way.

Up by the lighthouse I found a few more of my friends.

Carol (one of the organizers) sold this painting when she finished it.

Roseanne was painting up there too.

Next I headed over on the bay side and painted the view from that direction.

I forgot to take a separate photo of this painting and it is hanging in the lens house at our show. Luckily I did take a photo of it with the view behind it. If you look closely I used artistic license to make the flag blow in the other direction.

When we were done we hung the paintings inside the lens house. Our show of paintings of the Fire Island Lighthouse will be on display and for sale there for the next few weeks.

Portraits - Ann & Carmine

Last Tuesday I got to paint portraits twice. In the morning I painted with the South Bay Art Association portrait group. Ann was our model.

Then in the evening the Wet Paints Studio Group has their sketch night. Carmine who is one of the members of the group graciously sat for us since we hadn't found a model.