Monday, June 28, 2010

Lunch on the Rocks: Some thoughts on Plein Air Competitions


"Lunch on the Rocks"
12x12 oil Available $250

Cedarburg 2010 is officially over. Saturday at 8am (after 10 painting and traveling back and forth days) I knew I had spent the last of my energy when I could not even think about standing in the middle of 100,000+ people attending Strawberry Festival on a steamy hot morning and "painting the festival". So I did the next best thing...I purchased a carton of strawberries and found a somewhat quieter shaded spot and proceeded to paint what ended up being my lunch. Our paintings needed to be turned in at 2pm and the awards ceremony was a 5pm. There was no place to really rest in between. I attempted to go out to dinner with some wonderful friends but this "fibro" girl ran smack into a wall of exhaustion. Home I went...in bed by 10pm...up at 10am...checked e-mail, ate breakfast and back to bed for 2 hours after which (beginning to feel human again) I had to drive back to Cedarburg (about a 35 minute drive) to pick up my unsold work.

I have been struggling to get reacquainted with my oil paints after a winter of pastels and I finally felt some things coming together this week...much to my relief. I was somewhat pleased with my over all results in painting. Some painters I trust had good stuff to say about my work and I truly hope they were not just being nice. Ken Auster who's workshop I have taken says "You are good when your peers say your good". I like that...as a gauge. And although I did not sell a thing or take home any awards and I will probably pay physically for this week...It was all still very worth it! For me nothing beats painting in the open air with a bunch of truly great artists whom I respect and the challenge of capturing what I see before me on a blank canvas!

Have palette knife will travel!!


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