My happenings this week: Schauer Center Friday, Renaissance Fair Saturday and Sunday and West Bend on Tuesday!!

Wow another busy plein air week coming up for me!

Friday from 6:30 to 7:30 is the awards ceremony for "A State of Inspiration" a WIPAPA juried show at the Schauer Center for the Arts in Hartford WI. I have 4 pieces in this show: 

 

 Two small studies and two larger pieces from the studies.Can you tell which is which?

Then on Saturday and Sunday I will be one of 20 artists creating plein air work at the Renaissance Faire in Bristol WI (right on the border between Illinois and Wisconsin). I have been looking forward to this all year as I participated last year and had a great time!! I also took many photo's last year...here are some of the paintings that resulted:




 

Watch me and 19 other artists jousting with our easels!!! Then on Sunday around 3 consider purchasing via auction one of the paintings right off a human easel!

!! Proceeds benefit AWE (Artists Working In Education) who's mission is to provide youth in the Milwaukee area with arts enrichment programs to enhance human potential, advance learning and cultivate community.  http://www.renfair.com/bristol/specialevents/pleinaire.asp#Artists

On Tuesday the 14th I will be one of 20 participating artists painting on the grounds of West Bend Mutual Insurance Company in West Bend WI. I have never been there but I hear it is a wonderful place!!

Also I have an entry in this August's Bold Brush Competition...it is a public choice event so if you like my piece on the site it will help me possibly win an award!!! Here is the link: http://faso.com/boldbrush/painting/36486 and Here is  what the the painting looks like:

Mukwonago: A new Wisconsin Competition

Vernon Marsh Looking West-Evening
12x12 oil

I have had two lovely days painting at a new Plein Air Competition in a place called Mukwonago.   Awards are on Saturday...wish me luck!!

Vernon Marsh Looking East-Morning
20x10 oil

Yerke's on Frog Alley
16x12 oil

Wheat on Road X
9x12 oil

Rachel Weeps: A Word on Abortion

A little over a week ago while in Cedarburg I happened upon a bronze statue in front of a church. I was dumb struck by it. I set up and began to paint it in hopes that I could capture some of what I was feeling in response...I got a start but felt nowhere near finished with this piece and never found time to go back to work on it again. It has stuck with me and today I felt compelled to work on it again. Her empty arms and the grief on her face had me asking some heavy questions as I painted...

Here is the plaque found at the site...as far as I could see it did not identify who the artist is (does anyone know?):

The Wheat Harvest

All week as I have been driving to Cedarburg I have watched as the wheat ripened a crazy yellow-gold color. Quickly it is harvested. As Cedarburg is closer to Lake Michigan then we are the grain hadn't ripened there yet or I surely would have painted it!  So today when the weather is amazing (70's and light breeze, sunny) I just had to paint it!!! This field is not to far from my home. I decided to do a small 6x6 quick study first so as to work out color, value and composition. I give myself about 15 minutes for this. In the study I didn't like how the tree landed right in the middle so I decided to keep it off to the left some in the larger piece. I may go back again this evening when the light is low!

Wheat Harvest-Study 6x6 oil

Wheat Harvest
12x12 oil

Cedarburg 2012: An end and a Beginning!

Strawberry Red by Wendie Thompson
12x9 oil
Available

Today was pick up day for Cedarburg. Final pick up of unsold work...final chance for camaraderie between artist friends and for some saying goodbye to this small, compelling, historical town for quite some time! 

With the addition of "Strawberry Red" (My Paint the Festival piece) I completed 15 painting! Last night I slept 12 hours! I pushed myself...needing to find out if I had the stamina to do a long competition with that much painting and all the socializing as well. I'm good to go!! and while I didn't win any awards sometimes neither did some nationally known artists...so I was in some good company.

Just a note about the quality of this years art: STAGGERINGLY GOOD!! I am so excited to see the ante upped in Wisconsin. We are creating a history in plein air painting in Wisconsin that may have potential to benefit generations and that my friends is what it is really (for me) all about!

Jason Sacran Best of Show Award winner!

Last Two for Cedarburg: The Heat is On!!!

Have you ever noticed that competition brings out the best in some people and causes others difficulty? Or maybe it's more like this: Sometimes we all can rise to the challenge and sometimes it gets the better of us. I have been peeking at my friends art this week in Cedarburg and I got to tell you...most have risen!!! I am literally blown away by the pieces I have seen and that's just a handful.  Many artists paint a bunch of paintings and then (because we can only submit two for the main competition) they have to try and figure out which ones the judges will like. It's more or less a toss of the dice as judges are people with preferences too!


I painted two more yesterday after watching Micheal Latala's wonderful demo at lunch! By the way it has become unbearably hot here the last few days...90"s + humidity...dangerously hot! I got to go to a friends house to paint in the afternoon but got to take a most welcome dip in her pool first!! 

Susan's Tigers
10x8 oil

I went to cool down and get a bite to eat watching the sky the whole time...It looked like another promising sunset. My friend Judith Reidy joined me for some lively conversation. I love that part of the competition! Then I decided to head west where I knew I could get a good view of the sky:

Magic Trick
12x9 oil

Now comes the really hard part...picking only two out of 14 to enter. Any suggestions???

A Creek, a Sunset and a Nocturne: Cedarburg

Porch Light by Wendie Thompson
12x9 oil

OK...so I am having way too much fun in Cedarburg. In the last 5 days I have created 12 paintings! Today I am resting and catching up on my computer stuff so I can go again tonight or tomorrow! I am so excited about the painting above (Porch Light) as it is only the second nocturne (painted at night) that I have done and the first one is the only painting I have ever burned!! I went painting with my friends Anthony Sell and Jason Sacran yesterday. Thanks for the encouragement you two!! 

I slept in some yesterday as about this time in the competition my fibro begins to really catch up with me forcing rest. Then I took off for Cedarburg arriving around  3. I found Jason by Cedar Creek working on a drop dead gorgeous piece of the rocks and small falls. It has a really abstract quality about it. I set up and began to paint as he finished. We agreed to meet later and try to catch the elusive sunset.

 

The Rocks Cry Out by Wendie Thompson
12x12 oil

As the sun began to lower I drove out to Granville Road and found a beautiful opening in the fields and trees and plenty of sky view. I set up and began painting. I little later Jason joined me and we watched the sky do it's magic.

Light Show on Granville by Wendie Thompson
12x12 oil

Towards the end of this Anthony Sell showed up and we started talking nocturne. The night before those two have painted at night and I gotta tell you...contenders...both!!!! We were really blest with a soft breeze, low bugs and no lack of opportunity in downtown Cedarburg. I didn't have the "gear" so I set up close to a window with florescent lights which provided me with some light. Still I found my "color memory" kicking in. I always keep my pallete layout the same so I sort of knew where to lay my brush however until you get these pieces in the light you really don't know what you have! "Porch Light" is the result!

Here are some more of the pieces I've done this week:

Reaction to the Roses by Wendie Thompson
9x12 Quick Paint oil

At the edge of the Grain Field
by Wendie Thompson
12x16 oil

Sunset on my Mind by Wendie Thompson
10x8 oil

Corn Rows on Bridge Street by Wendie Thompson
20x10 oil

Hope to see you all at the reception, awards ceremony ans free party this Friday (22nd) from 5-8
ONLY 3 DAYS to BUY GREAT ART: Friday 12:30-8 Saturday 9-5 and Sunday 9-3