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These six little paintings were begun on location and finished in the studio during late summer and fall of this year.  They are currently on view at the McHenry County Conservation District's educational center, Prairie View through the end of November with two other area artists.  A portion of each sale will be donated to the MCCD.

The goal of this project is to show the beauty of the various sites managed by the McHenry County Conservation District here in Illinois.  My process begins with visiting a site, choosing a spot and beginning the painting on location, taking photos of the location and then finishing the piece in the studio.

The spot I choose to paint is what had caught my eye in that moment in time.  For me it could have been about the dark and light patterns, color, atmosphere, or a combination of any or all three elements.  I like to begin a painting on location because I get a better feel for the colors and shapes at that location.  The photos I take to help me complete the piece are only just a reminder of what I saw and how I felt at the time of beginning the piece.

The project will continue through the late fall, winter and spring of next year to highlight the beauty of these sites in all seasons.  What has been fun about this project, is seeing how each of us (artists) interprets the beauty of the same site and discovering the beauty of a site I have never been to before even thought it has been just right around the corner!

 

Plein-air Painting in Baraboo, WI, March 27, 2010

It was a cold and gray day, but I brought my paint box with me on our trip up to Baraboo anyways.  I was hoping to find a good spot to paint while Jim was cutting up a tree and loading it into the truck bed.

At one end of our field, I could just see the roof tops of Katherine’s barn and sheds.  What inspired me was the violet color of her weathered gray barn and the color and shape of the oak tree along the lot line.

I spent two hours painting on location that day and then finished this little piece in the studio.  

This piece, along with “Woodstock Park, June 09” and “Veterans Acres, Jun 09” will be shown in a group show at the Old Courthouse Art Center in Woodstock, IL for the months of June and July.