Wet Paint and Dundee Awards!

Doug and Cynthia with the Barn painting. 

So the Iowa Barn painting was snagged by a great friend, Cynthia Lippincott, who wasted very little time in calling to claim her barn!  She lives here in Illinois so we were thrilled that she was willing to drive up to meet us for dinner! Thanks so much, Cynthia!  That was such a treat for us and we are so glad the barn painting found such a good home!  

We got settled into our camp and met our students.  Scott Shearer is a prior student from last fall's Southern Utah Tour and is from Wisconsin! 

Jeff Kennedy was the coordinator of the workshop. He is from this area and has followed Doug's work for a couple of years. He emailed us and asked if we would do a workshop if he coordinated it.  He is a very talented artist and the oil and plein air painting is new to his tool box!  Check out some of his work at his blog http://drawingflies365.blogspot.com.  We were thrilled that he was able to pull one together!  Ken Davy, Karyl Shields, and Joy Richmond were the other three students, all from within an hour drive from the Fox River Valley here.  What a great fun group!

The first demo was done Friday morning on the corner of Lincoln and Washington in West Dundee.  We're sitting in the parking lot of the village squire and across the way is Dundee Supermarket. Its reminding me of Michael Scott and the Dundee awards! 

  

We were graciously delivered an 81 degree morning with only 74% humidity and 14 mph winds so it only feels like 85!  heavenly!  . I may need a jacket it's so cool!  We were expecting thunder showers that afternoon so we were playing the schedule and weather by ear.  The heat was still brutal and I had to force myself to drink the water as opposed to what Scott brought for breakfast, a diet mountain dew, which I believe is the breakfast of champions!  Haha 

I sat in the shade typing on my iPad while Doug worked on the value study in the sun.  I'm thinking that if Michael Scott were handing out the fashion award for painters, Doug would win for sure. He is sporting a bandana under his hat looking very "sheik-ish" and then the soaked-through t-shirt from his ACS (automatic cooling system - uh yeah, that would be sweat!)  It's hot looking!!  and I mean that affectionately!! 

It's fun finally getting done with the "big picture stuff" and when he can start with the "tight stuff".  Thats painter talk. Try and keep up!  At this point, he starts doing some serious color matching.  Showing the students how to find those true colors and mix those colors using his pallet knife.  Cool stuff.  Another Dundee award for cool stuff, big guy!  

Finished painting was fantastic but brutal to the end especially for Doug in the heat as the paint was drying quickly in the heat.  Adding the cars was a great finish and, as Doug later admitted to the students, "I wasn't sure I was going to pull this one out.  The paint was drying fast and I had to keep adding paint to keep it workable."  

"Post Office"
8x10

We broke for lunch and went just down the street where we could eat outside so Max could go with us. In the shade and with a breeze it was very nice. We only took a short break because the forecast predicted rain around 4 or 5 so the students started their paintings in the park around 1:00. 

Jeff and Doug looking things
over.

4 of the 5 students paintings in the park.
Joy's on the left, Jeff's, Ken's and
Scott's on the right.  Very nice!!  

Doug walked around to each one helping them all afternoon. My job, of course, was to keep Max in the shade and keep the students hydrated. Their paintings turned out great and I think they all had a great experience. 

The evening ended with some great dogs from Portillas and the most incredible lightning storm I've seen in nearly 30 years!  The sky was lit constantly and the rain came down in sheets, and for the first time in five days, the night cooled down to under 70 degrees!  Heaven!  Let's see what tomorrow's weather forecast brings!!  

Talk soon - I mean very soon!!  I'm already a day behind but I'm posting this one anyway!!  Next day coming shortly!!

xoxo

J'net