Hill Country Bell Tower

Hill Country Bell Tower, 12 x 9, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2016

Available 

Today was a beautiful fall day in Texas... a liiiiittle bit cooler (okay, to some of you it would still seem hot, but we'll take it) and crystal blue skies. Plein Air Austin had a paintout scheduled at this lovely outdoor chapel in the Hill Country, called Chapel Dulcinea. It's not only a great painting place with quiet vistas all around, it's a gorgeous, intimate wedding venue. A pretty cool fact is that getting married here is actually FREE... couples need only reserve it with a down payment that is returned when they use it. How awesome is that? Pretty rare in this day and age... Read about it HERE.

NEW INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO AVAILABLE: 

"Laurel Daniel - Oil Painting for Beginners" 

Available at Liliedahl Art Instruction Videos 

4 Hrs 15 min - DVD or Digital Download - $35 + s/h

Angel Perch

Angel Perch, 12x9, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2015

SOLD

Today Plein Air Austin met up to paint together at Chapel Dulcinea outside of Austin. It's a wonderful wedding venue, complete with garden vignettes and walking trails that overlook the rolling hill country. I found this little cherub statue perching on a garden wall, and had to try and capture the scene. I loved the combination of straight and curvy. It was also great to see old friends and meet some new!

Please join me for my last workshop of the year...
En Plein Air: Strong Starts, November 6-8, 9am-1:30pm
Register @ The Contemporary Austin Art School

Chapel Dulcinea

Chapel Dulcinea, L. Daniel, 9 x 12

Yesterday our Plein Air Austin painting group met up at Chapel Dulcinea, a free, open-air wedding chapel in the hill country. The chapel is named for the love interest in the story of Don Quixote. Dulcinea is the peasant woman who unknowingly inspires all of Quixote's exploits (the "impossible dream" and "unreachable stars" are all for her). 

The chapel owners must be total romantics. They explain their connection to Cervantes' story this way (from their website):

"Don Quixote sees himself as her knight and champion, 

and Dulcinea as the most perfect woman on earth. 

Every groom is Don Quixote. And every bride, his Dulcinea... 

It is our hope that every visitor to Dulcinea will leave with a 

fresh commitment to see the beauty rather than the flaw, 

and the courage to follow the dream that whispers to the heart."

So inspiring... I love it that a place like this exists.