"Day Lilies & Goose-necks"

The perennials keep coming in my garden, and I can barely keep up with them when there are "Paint-Outs" to go to.  A Paint-Out is a community organized event for artists to paint directly from the landscape.  People come from all across Indiana to paint directly from the landscape in one place on a certain day, or sometimes more than one day, and then to display the paintings.  There is always a SALE of the artists' paintings for the public at the end of the event.  That's what I participated in at Noblesville, IN a couple of weeks ago.  Sooo, now I'm home painting Day Lilies, Goose-necks, and Baby's Breath from my garden in an antique glass Arts & Crafts handmade vase.  Yes, the vase barely shows, but it may appear in full view later in another painting.  This oil painting is 14" x 11".  Purchase information is on my web site www.kathrynclarkfineart.com.  If you know others who would enjoy my blogs please forward this to them.  And remember I always enjoy hearing from you.

"Swinging at Forest Park"

This past weekend, the Hamilton County Art Assoc. in Noblesville, IN held their annual three day Paint-Out, with two days of painting and a painting sale and judging, awards, etc. on the third day.  I painted in Forest Park, a dream come true park with just about everything from golf, to horse shoes, swimming, skate boarding, miniature golf, and amazing jungle gyms, swings, etc. As I was happily situated under huge old trees in the shade, I realized it was a great opportunity to paint figures in action on the swings.   There are large, circular disks which are large enough for two youngsters to sit or lye on while swinging.  I'd never included figures in a landscape painting before so thought this was definitely the time to try it.  Here is the result, a 14" x 11" oil which was awarded an Honorable Mention in the Oil category during the awards on the last day.

"Burnett's Creek at Dusk"

Even though the temperature was in the high 80's and the humidity higher, I got out of my studio and into nature with a painter friend from Chicago.   Laurie Kennard took the train down to Lafayette, which is near Brookston, and spent the Memorial Day weekend here in the "country".   Along with being a painter, she's a well known milliner.  You can see her unique hats at www.chapeau.us.  We painted on a ledge over looking Burnett's Creek in Battle Ground, IN. (the site of the last major Indian battle east of the Mississippi where Wm Henry Harrison commanded the US. troops, and you know who "won")  Unlike that fateful, bloody day, it was a lazy, hazy, day with little children splashing about catching minnows.  As the sun was setting, my husband Howard, joined us after listening to the 500 mile race on the radio all afternoon.  He brought a guitar, banjo, and picnic basket with wine, cheese,  crackers and apples.  The perfect ending to a perfect plein air day.

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