A Third Place Award and Two Sales!!! PRAIRIE PLEIN AIR EVENT

On Tuesday this week a group of about 20 area artists were invited to participate in the first Prairie Plein Air Event on the beautiful and private grounds of the West Bend Mutual Life Ins. Company. I was lucky enough to be one of them. We were able to paint anywhere on the property which is mostly a wonderful naturalized prairie from 8 till 3pm. Then we could submit 2 paintings for the competition. Oh it was a good day!!!!

I walked some ways into the prairie at first...measuring my ability to haul my stuff against the view I saw! This fibro girl has to think about that kind of stuff. I found this tree popping up at the path into the field and felt I had found my first challenge. I set up and began to work. Guess what?? The resulting  painting "Entrance to the Barber Prairie" won the Third Place award and was purchased by West Bend Mutual becoming part of their permanent art collection!!

Entrance to the Barber Prairie
12x12 oil on linen panel
SOLD!

I took a break and walked a good deal into the property to stretch my legs and my mind. I had a bite to eat and some caffeine. All the while I had been painting the first one this small group of wild flowers I had seen earlier  (yellow cone I am told) called to me. It was actually somewhat distracting to me. So I quickly set up and began laying in pieces of bright color and then I got out my trusty palette knife and started to place pieces of color in the basic shapes of those flowers. It was a fast painting which sometimes happens to me when I have been thinking about it for some time. I was excited to hear today that "Shooting Stars was also purchased by West Bend Mutual for their collection!! Like I said...I was a good day! Thank God!

Shooting Stars
9x12 oil on linen panel
SOLD!

An Honorable Mention and Two Fiery Dragons

My weekend began well when my painting "Porch Light-Study" received an Honorable Mention at the State of Inspiration awards ceremony on Friday evening. And that was followed by a fun dinner with some of my favorite kind of people...artists!

Honorable Mention at State of Inspiration
Porch Light - Study
12x9 oil on linen panel available
by Wendie Thompson

Saturday was an early start to get to the Bristol Renaissance Faire which is about an hour and a half drive for me. I wanted to get there about an hour before the gates opened so I could find where I wanted to set up and have them help me haul my painting stuff there in one of their carts. (This place is big and there are no carts allowed on the grounds after the gates open) I knew from painting there last year that painting it is like trying to paint swirling confetti! So for my first painting I found this large sculpture of a dragon...it was roped off and more importantly standing still and had wonderful light streaming down on it from the blessedly mild sunny day!!

The day continued to swirl around me with record crowds expected and believe me they came!!!

So when it came to beginning a new painting I decided to stay right where I was instead of trying to pull all my stuff through that crowd. The light had shifted and back lit the dragon which I was still fascinated with so I painted it again! Both dragons are available.

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!