Painting Outside the School Grounds!

Sunny St. George delivered a beautiful day today!  Started out a bit nippy (in the 40's) but progressed into a perfect day!

Doug rebelled by painting "outside the school grounds" but I promised Jane that he would deliver a killer painting and that it would be worth it!

Here's where he started.

Bandana and all!  Set up off the beaten path.  Such a rebel!

  I, of course, was back up near the gallery "working" and manning the "Braithwaite" corner where Doug was SUPPOSED to be painting.  Every 15 or 20 minutes, I would leave my post, dash out the school-yard gate and snap a quick picture of the Braithwaite progress.  It had to be a masterpiece or we would both be in trouble!

20 minutes into the painting.  Looking good.  

People back at the gallery are asking "did Doug decide not to paint today??"  I assured them he was working in his element and directed them his way.  With his headphones in, he was in the groove and most anyone who stopped to talk to him would startle him if they touched his shoulder!

45 minutes into it.  Value study done - now adding color and more detail. 

About an hour into the painting.  Loving the red car!  How much detail will he put in?

About 1 1/2 hours into the painting.  

I watched as he took the telephone pole from a black line to an authentic-looking telephone pole.  He did one straight line down the pole with brown paint and then went over it again with a skinny orange line!  I really wouldn't have thought to do that!  hahaha

Last phase, the foreground.  How much detail - and of course, my question is always "will he put in a few "dots" for the red flowers?  

Finished!  Absolutely beautiful!  

Yup!  He did!  What a great little painting.  Congratulations to the highest bidder in the silent auction!  You got a gem!

And Doug was not grounded for leaving the premises and I delivered on my promise:  it WAS a killer painting!  Looking forward to Doug doing more fun cityscapes of St. George!

Great couple of days for our first time participating in the New Visions Art Show.  We will be more prepared next year for sure!  Thrilled to be a part of the great group of artists down here and so excited to have met some new artist friends as well!  Thanks to friends and family who came to see us and for sending YOUR friends to see us too!!

Let the vacation begin!  hoping I get to use my golf clubs that I INSISTED we bring!  

Cheers!

Jeanette

Bugs in Wet Paint!

So I'm sitting here in the sun on a little deck at our "home" for the next 3 days in St. George, Utah.  It's 65 degrees, with 10-15 mph winds but the sun is beating down on my bare legs (bare also means lack of sun for an entire winter!) and they're soaking it up!  I'm not gonna lie, this is incredibly relaxing!  Let's keep that just 'tween us, if you will!  

Jane Meyers getting the artists situated!

Doug is now showing work at Authentique Gallery here in St. George and so was invited to participate in the Eighth Annual New Visions Art Show at both Authentique and Mission Galleries.  The artists have set up outside around the two galleries with a few of their paintings and have been painting for the mere pleasure and perusing enjoyment of their collectors and art lovers!  

With the gusts of wind, we have seen a few minor "oopsies" and then some major "Oh Sh#!$" paintings falling over, one canvas getting a sharp puncture through its heart!   

Doug working a Southern Utah landscape

So here's where Doug is working this afternoon--similar to my set-up, right?  Sun beating down on your neck same here - I probably should just put on my swimsuit . . . a bit breezy knocking over paintings and knocking over my cold can of fresca . . . gosh . . . Its brutal working out in this Southern Utah sun!  Trust me hun, I feel your pain!  I'm trying to show some empathy here . . . not sure it's going to come across that way tho!    

We set up a few paintings outside.  Here's our little display, with the rest of the paintings hung inside.

Authentique has this great little courtyard

Many of our favorite artists are here this weekend!  Shanna Kunz, George Handrahan, Jeff Pugh, Brad Holt and Rett Ashby to name a few!  Meeting many more and looking forward to showing work next to theirs here in St. George!

Here's the final touches and final painting, complete with the little last-minute photo reference down below . . .  

See how the painting is floating.  Starting to paint the recessed edges . . .

And last side - this is the color of his "under-painting". . .

And a last few strokes that make it pop!

Pop it in a frame of your choice and nice choice it is and VOILA!

Enlarge it and notice the "eagle" in the sky on the far right!  Dat be a bug!  He ain't goin' anywhere anytime soon, I don't s'pose!  

Tomorrow Doug will be out painting "true" plein air!  He's hoping to get in a cool street scene of downtown St. George!  Stay tuned!

working in the sun is exhausting . . . I think I'll call Doug and see if he'd mind coming and "refreshing my beverage . . . "

Cheers!!

Jeanette