Cypress Slough Preserve

Today was Fort Myers Beach Art Association's paint out day.  We went to the Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve.  It was a beautiful day.  You walk on a boardwalk for miles and see natural vegetation and cypress trees.  It is hard to paint because of all ferns, leaves trees etc.  You can't paint it all.  I have painted there before and this is my most sucessful painting.

Watercolor   15 X 22

Red Palm Trees

Another acrylic but this one is with a knife.  The painting goes much faster.  No fussy details with a knife.

Acrylic on canvas  11 X 14

Hampton Beacj

I painted a beach scene again in acrylic.  It is very detailed.  I put in lots of people swimming and sunbathing.  It is addictive.  Almost like doing a puzzle.  I had to put just one more person in.  I have been going to the portrait class for almost fifteen years.  I think it helps me draw the gestures. 

Acrylic on stretched canvas  14 X 11

Enjoying the Beach

Back to acryics.  I started painting this with oils on a bigger canvas.  I had drawn it on newspaper pad from a photo I took at Hampton Beach.  I drew it with charcoal.  I then rubbed pastel on the back where the lines were.  Then when you lay it on a tinted canvas and draw over the lines with a pencil the white pastel transfers to the canvas.  So after I started painting with oil on the bigger canvas, I decided there was just too much empty space.  So instead of redrawing it, I transferred the drawing to a smaller canvas.  I am happy with it.  I may change the colors of the umbrellas just a bit.

Acrylic   16 X 12
I added stuff to fill in the bottom right corner.  Is the design better?

Wednesday's Setup

I met the art group to paint out together but the smoke from the forest fires drove everyone in.  I stayed long enough to sketch a small picture of the beach.  I finished painting it in the art building.

Watercolor  12 X 9
Then Gretchen put together a set up of flowers. 

Watercolor  9 X 12    Terry Shattuck gave a critique of our art work.

Lilacs

I miss New England's spring flowers.

Watercolor  14 X 12

Soft Roses

Not all paintings can be a sucess.  But I learn from my mistakes.  I may work on this some more or just give up and start fresh.  I think it is better to start over.  That way the watercolor paint is fresh and transparent. 

Watercolor  14 X 12