Plein Air Workshop - Day Three

My Demonstration

Ben settles in to paint the tidal marsh.

We're on location on Camano Island. We spent all day here, painting, sketching; a picnic lunch and ice cold watermelon at the end of the workshop day.

It's not often that a location provides clean facilities, picnic tables, shade,  an inspirational subject, AND a comfortable bench. My intimate knowledge of the location and several scouting forays paid off!

Jeanne working in the shade.

Plein Air Workshop - Day Two

 "It's all downhill from here"
Original Line and Wash Watercolor
by Michele Cooper

One of the two quick sketch methods covered in our 3 day workshop...Line and Wash. If your time is limited, or you just want a way to quickly get the essential character of your subject, line and wash is one method that works.

These scenes are all over the territory we covered today in our plein air workshop.

In a Private Garden

John's Irish Shed
Line work with Micron Pen
by Michele Cooper


 We were working on thumbnail sketches at a viewpoint over the ocean, when the owners, John and Helen, invited us into their private garden next door. It is a prime example of what skill and loving care can accomplish.
John built the shed. Helen is a notable fine artist in her own right. Visit her website here.

My plein air workshop students and I were captivated and inspired by John and Helen's kind invitation and stunning garden. You could paint for a lifetime here. Thank you, John and Helen.

Plein air between the raindrops

Here's my demonstration from this afternoon, the first day of our 3 day plein air workshop.

In the afternoon, I took everyone to my secret spot where it doesn't rain when I'm there to paint. Evidently, it was the only spot in the entire vicinity that was dry. It was perfect: lots of NW atmosphere with mist on the distant purple hills, a vast panorama of golden summer fields, a skein or two of Canadian geese flying over, and a flock of swallows skimming back and forth over the field.

Dragonfly

As I was watering the garden, I caught a brief flutter of movement out of the corner of my eye and I thought the hydrangeas were moving!

Look closely and you'll see how perfectly matched the dragonfly is.