Super Moon Monday and painting in the dark...

Super Moon Monday, 9 x 12, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2016

Last night few of us from Plein Air Austin met up in Zilker Park to paint the super moon. We had so much fun, and watching that moon come up was exhilarating! As for painting it, this was my first "moonrise" ever and the light changed fast (and many times)! In the matter of an hour we watched daylight turn to sunset, and pitch dark turn to moon rise. 

Blocking in the scene was a giant guessing game, anticipating where the moon would rise, how big it would be, how dark the sky would be, and how light the buildings would be. But my biggest challenge was that I didn't bring a clip-on light for my easel. DUH! I'm not sure why I didn't think of it. I resorted to using the flashlight on my cell phone, and skootching in close to my friend's easel and light. Lesson learned! A brand new clip on light is already ordered and on it's way to me!

It was a race to the finish and a great adventure! Many thanks to my painting buddies Tricia, Lynn and Jane... we have already committed to meeting up (same place and time) for the next super moon in 2034!! ;)

Peaceful Sky and Artist Reception

Peaceful Sky, 12 x 12, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2016

SOLD

Please join me at the artist reception for my solo show this weekend!

"Laurel Daniel's Works of Nature" 

Reception: November 13, 1-3 pm

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

McDermott Learning Center

4801 La Crosse Avenue

Austin, Texas

If you are in the neighborhood, please stop by! Admission is free for attendees (just tell them at the kiosk that you are my guest). Hope to see you!

Click HERE to see entire show online.

Misty Shore - Workshop Demos

Misty Shore (full color demo), 6 x 8 oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2016

SOLD

This weekend in Austin, the sky was overcast and on the verge of raining, at all times. And don't you just know that I was teaching a Plein Air workshop? Wouldn't it be nice to know these things when scheduling, so the sunny, blue sky weekends could always be chosen? Well, it really wasn't so bad. We got a lot of painting in, despite the fact that we were poised to seek shelter at all times. 

One really great thing about overcast days is that the light never changes. We were able to do value studies in the morning followed by full color paintings of the same scene, with the same light and same values, in the afternoon. These were my demos of that. 

Misty Shore (value study demo), 6 x 8, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2016

Students working hard on value studies...

Avenue B Grocery

Avenue B Grocery, 8 x 16, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2016

Available

Several weeks ago, I met up with a group of painters from Plein Air Austin to paint an older, Austin neighborhood. I love this little store. It is Austin's oldest, continuously-operated grocery store, was built in 1909, and on is 10th owner!! They make delicious sandwiches and are VERY well-loved by the locals. 

Below is my block-in... so you can see how I got started...

 and a view of the painting in process with store in background.