paint out '08

After the main contest is, the Midway Art Association has a paint out the mornings of the 3rd and 4th. You have a smaller geographical area to paint, and you only have 4 hours to register, paint, frame your piece and turn in it. My best friend and I did the paint out two years ago. It went so quickly. I hurried to finish, and my painting was not one to be proud of. (I painted over it last year). Since then, I have become much faster.

Fortunately, I chose a subject that wasn’t too popular. There were lots of painters, but they were all down the road a bit, so there i was enjoying the serene, peaceful morning all to myself. The weather was nice, and the shade from the back of our Highlander: fabulous. I left the house just before 7, checked in, and got sketching fairly soon after that. My husband helped me plan and organize the event. My parents helped him watch the kids, and he even came to get milk I pumped for the baby. Amazingly, I finished just before 11. I met up with he and my parents, got the painting in the frame, and turned it in before the noon deadline. It was exciting to know that I could paint a large painting under pressure and feel completely satisfied!

plein air paradise '08

Entering an outdoor painting contest 2 weeks after your baby is born is not always the most convenient, nor the smartest idea...but I would be disappointed to not participate for the third year in a row. :) I was very sick during the competition and felt overjoyed to get to enter one piece at all!

The American Dream is the title of my plein air piece. My husband came up with the title. Not only are there patriotic colors used, but the piece is about how the American Dream involves having your own piece of earth…and doing whatever you wish with it. The scene can be seen from our backyard. The previous owners had built a large hill out back, supposedly, to mask the back neighbor’s “junk” that they had rather not see. The shed, trailer, and pipes in my painting are all still visible from our back deck. There were a few other items that I chose not to paint because the painting was “busy” enough. One of the rusty items, I don’t even know what it is, and the other is a partially torn apart motorcycle. So there is my entry. The exhibit on display is mostly of nice pictorial scenes, perfect views, for the most part. And then you have my junk painting…