PAP-SE Weekend

Had a weekend of painting and socializing with some of the Plein Air Painters of the Southeast. It was a get together to meet the new artist's in the group which consists of me, Jim Richards and Lori Putnam. We were joined the first day for a paint out in Leiper's Fork by Anne Blair Brown, Diane and Frank May, Brett Weaver and Roger Brown and Beverly Evans. After a full day of painting we spent the evening in Nashville at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts. They have a show there now called "The Birth of Impressionism" and it's on loan from the Musee d'Orsay. If you have not been, go. It's wonderful. There is a painting there by Jules Bastien LePage titled "The Haymakers" that did it for me. It is a huge painting and the greens in it are phenomenal. I mix greens. I mix greens all the time. I mix greens for a living and I have never seen a green like this. It's grey and cool and deep and rich. And it's juxtaposed against other colors that make it this vibrant green yet when you look at it closer it's almost grey or blue or something else I can't get my head around. The effect of it was gorgeous. Speaking of greens, the next day we painted at a farm in Fernvale, had a catered lunch, and then dinner at one of the artist's home. In that home happened to be two Clyde Aspevig paintings. These were two of the most fabulous paintings I have stood in front of and in one of these paintings was a green. A perfect green. There is not a word between "aardvark" and "zymurgy" that describes this green so I won't try to with my limited linguistic talents but these are the times when you realize what is meant by "genius" in reference to great landscape painters. My rods and cones feel like they are cooling down after an Ironman triathlon.

We painted as a group one more time on Saturday morning and then all left until next spring when we plan on having the entire group together again right outside Charleston. I am looking forward to meeting the other artists and being part of the group.

A Busy October...As Always

I am officially back to blogging after a bit of a break. I have had quite a bit of illustration work to get out and still try and paint. It makes for chaos.

I painted this morning with Anne Blair Brown and Diane May in preparation for a Plein Air Painters of the Southeast paint out/get together scheduled in one week. We were scouting out places to paint and socialize as a group and have a few places worked out for both. It will be a lot of fun meeting the group. Hopefully the hazing will be kept to a minimum.

I am also painting at Radnor Lake in preparation for the show the Chestnuts are having there and will post those when I can get photos.

If you are big into painting the autumn colors you better get after it soon. They are peaking and won't be here long. Now's the time.

Workshop

Wanted to get in a quick plug for a workshop I will be having at Leiper's Creek Gallery November 10, 11, 12 and 13. That Wednesday night will be 3 hrs of information and a quick demo and the next three days are full days of a demo in the morning and then students painting in the afternoons. I haven't had one this late in the year before but that time of the year the landscape around here is beautiful. Should be fun. And if it gets cold the gallery has a coffee maker and a fire place. For details e-mail Kay Farrar at dkisfarrar@charter.net.

By the way, I just got in last night from Wilmington, NC where I got to spend some time with the owners of Walls Gallery in Wilmington. The owners, David Leadman and Nancy Marshall, are very experienced and knowledgable when it comes to this fickle industry we call fine art. They are now in the process of preparing for the Oil Painters of America Eastern Regional Finals that they are hosting there in Wilmington. They actually have acquired a space in the Mayfaire center that is perfect for what they are doing. Plenty of room and it is located in a shopping area with restaurants and retail. I do believe with what little I got to see, the OPA show is going to be a top notch show. They picked a great gallery to have it with.

Oh, and tomorrow we will be setting up for the Chestnut Group's Land Trust Show at the Glen Leven mansion that is to be held Saturday night in the mansion. For anybody who is attending the fundraiser, make sure you swing through the mansion and check out the show. I think most of you know as well as we do, it's a great cause.

Plein Air Painters of the Southeast

I was just asked, and have accepted, membership in The Plein Air Painters of the Southeast.

Flattered is an understatement.

I remember when I started this, these were some of the people I would study and watch and try to emulate. Everything from their artistic abilities to the way they ran their businesses. It is a group of painters I had always had a deep admiration for and to have them deem me worthy of membership is truly an honor. Since I have been doing this, out of all the accolades I have received, it's when a group of artists who you admire and respect accepts you as one of their equals that is just the best.

Thanks to everyone in PAP-SE. I am looking forward to being part of the group.