Note: you can click on the image to view the impasto and brushwork better.
It was a busy week! Tuesday kicked off the Light-Chaser's "Paint Sarasota!" paint-out. The day loomed unseasonably nasty, with high winds and a 50% chance of rain. Normally I like days that are overcast, so I don't have to worry too much about rapidly changing light conditions. But the wind was quite harsh and a couple artists ended up chasing their easels rather than the light!
I chose to paint at the Ringling Museum again, feeling totally captivated by the surroundings of banyan trees, Venetian architecture and statues of cherubs and angels lurking in the shadows. I chose to paint Ca' d Zan once again, feeling that the light conditions could evoke a sense of atmosphere.
In the end, the experience was pretty challenging. I found myself running my paints and painting back and forth between the hatchback of my car and the easel that I had set up in front of the museum. It would sprinkle, then stop, then start again and I alternated between painting under the hatchback and trying to paint under my plein air umbrella. In the end, I finally got thoroughly soaked but managed to save my painting from annihilation!
Thursday morning the 73 Paint-Out participants set up our easels in the courtyard of Art Center Sarastoa for judging by renowned plein air artist Morgan Samuel Price. Much to my surprise, my painting was chosen for an honorable merit award, which meant a coveted spot in the Light-Chaser exhibit and a fabulous gift certificate for supplies and framing at Florida Frames!
It was a tiring week, but rewarding. I'll post my sunny day painting tomorrow!
Check out Morgan's website here. She is an amazing painter, teacher and author of two books on plein air painting.
