Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Broken Barns, 8 x 16, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2012

Emmanuel... God is with us!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all.

Thank you all for your support this year...

for following my work and for sending me messages of encouragement. 

I wish you abundant hope and fullness of life in 2013!

Barn Row - Kerrville Outdoor Painting Event

Barn Row, 9 x 12, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2012

This is another painting from the plein air event in Kerrville, Texas. The ranch where these three barns are located was a treasure trove of painting subjects. (The Victorian house from yesterday's post is on the same property.) I could have painted here for a week, easily, and I thoroughly enjoyed the time I had. 

As I was packing up my gear, the little goats below started following me around. They must have thought I had snacks or something - after all, it was getting on towards dinner time. All the other painters had cleared out except for Julie Davis (my faithful painting companion for the week) and me, so we were the only hope those goats had. They were very cute. And persistent!

Broken Barns - Door County Plein Air

Broken Barns, 8 x 16, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2012

Available at the Peninsula School of Art, Guenzel Gallery

Another piece from the Door County Plein Air Festival...
These dilapidated old barns were in a hidden field on the north end of the Door County peninsula. I didn't see any "No Trespassing" signs and no one lived nearby, so I helped myself to a delightfully quiet morning. I even got ambitious and decided to take some process pictures as I painted, but promptly forgot after shooting the block-in and location pictures below. I guess I was having too much fun. You know what they say about good intentions! Below is the beginning and above is the finished painting.

Broken Barns Block-in, 8 x 16

Line and mass underdrawing

Using French ultramarine and burnt sienna

Broken Barns - location shot 

Block-in complete, ready for color

Sorry, I forgot to take pictures during the process...

Woodbine Farm

Woodbine Farm, 12 x 9, L. Daniel

I am so fortunate to have a great friend and painting partner down here... Alyson Tucker. She lives on the island and paints with me whenever I come. How great is that??? On Wednesday, she took me to Woodbine, Georgia to paint with her local plein air group at an old rice plantation site. (I am pretty sure this barn had nothing to do with the plantation era, but I couldn't pass it up.) We finished up a great morning with delicious fish sandwiches at Captain Stan's Restaurant... if you are ever in Woodbine, I highly recommend it!!! (Thanks Alyson!)

Goat Shed

Goat Shed, 12 x 9, L. Daniel

Last Thursday, Plein Air Austin had another drizzly paintout day; I had to set up my easel in the back of my car to keep the canvas dry. We painted at a wonderful ranch and it was well worth the trouble. Our wonderful host, Pat Haberman, drove us all around and promised to have us back when the sun is out. (I don't forget a promise like that!) Thank you Pat! :) This little shed used to be the home and shelter of a goat herd. I would have loved to see their little faces peeking out through the rain...

The following day, Plein Air Austin left for a weekend painting trip in the Hill Country. It's just that time of year. More on that tomorrow!

Flaxen Field

Flaxen Field, 12 x 12

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The area surrounding the Davis Mountains is very rural - farm and ranch land. These pale, winter grasses fill the fields as far as the eye can see. I loved the contrast against the dark tree line and mountain range in the distance. I am not sure I caught the feeling of it, but the barn seemed totally hunkered down in the middle of it all.

Morning in the Field

Morning in the Field, 5 x 7, SOLD

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There is nothing quite like the first light of the day...

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This is the last of my "places I wanted to paint in person but was unable to" series (yes, photographs come in handy in such cases!) I have been painting in Georgia for the last two weeks and just got home tonight. I will begin posting my work from that trip as soon as I get it photographed. Thank you all for your kind words while I was gone; I truly appreciate your encouragement!

See more Small Works

Grapetown Barn

Grapetown Barn, 8 x 6, SOLD

Normally, I work from small outdoor studies to paint larger work in the studio. This one was just the opposite. For this small piece, I cropped way in on a larger plein air composition that included too many elements and lacked overall focus. It is so important for us painters to keep asking ourselves, "what is this painting about?" This barn was the story, and I should have gone straight for it the first time. :)
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See more Small Works

Blue Barn

Blue Barn, 12 x 12

I spent this weekend running back and forth between a paintout with the Outdoor Painting Society in Fredericksburg and my home, where my husband is recovering from shoulder surgery. (He is doing great and on the mend, by the way!) I spotted this abandoned tin barn from the road and made a quick U-turn to go back and paint it. The menacing sky... the rusty old structure... the warm flood of light... it was too good to pass up!

A Perfect Day

Trisha's Hay Barn, 12 x 12

We are beginning to have some wonderful, cooler days here in Austin; and today was one of them! I was so glad to be outside. Our painting group met up early at the beautiful ranch of one of our members, Trisha Bridges. There were Longhorns wandering around, horses that kept guard, and happy painters all around!

Home Again!

Log Barn with Silo, 12 x 16

For the last two weeks I have been painting in the mountains and having a blast! The first week I was in Tabernash, CO (near Winter Park) staying with dear friends who not only hosted me but also took me to some great painting spots. This old homestead barn is in a remote corner of a big YMCA ranch. A big family of marmots lives under this building and they watched me the whole time I was painting... keeping guard I guess.