BRANDYWINE PLEIN AIR

This past week I spent 4 days outside in the Brandywine Valley painting watercolors in what we often call "Wyeth country".  We visited a number of sights including the Birmingham Meeting House, Christ ChurchWilmington, Granogue, Long Point Farm, Hagley Mills and Winterthur.   On the first day I headed down to Christ Church and spent the whole morning painting the church from the front view.  We were able to get great lunches from Jansenn's Market, so I picked up my lunch and drove over to the sun lit Birmingham Meeting house making it a great day to paint.  Here I completed a mid size watercolor of the meeting house and small painting of the pump.  As the sun started to go down,  my car headed home with three watercolors in the back seat ready to frame.

Tuesday I had no idea what to expect.  I had never been to this private estate so was not sure what to would be waiting for me to paint so I was a little anxious. By the time I pulled up there were already 25 artists painting away.  Well I loved the setting.  There were numerous building and scenes to paint including a great barn and storage area.  I completed two paintings of this barn - one mid size and the other smaller.  This is one view.

Tuesday evening as the car headed home there were two more watercolors that needed to be framed to drop off the next morning.  

Wednesday was gray and slightly colder so more of a challenge for us painters.  That morning, we painted at Long Point Farm along the Brandywine river but you can see my great spot on a hill looking down on the barn.  

I completed one painting there and then left to go to the Hagley Mill in Wilmington.  Here the Gibbons house caught my eye that was located on Workers Hill.  Hagley Mills was the first Dupont mill where  the company was started. That evening three more paintings were framed bringing the total to 7 paintings completed.  I was dead tired that evening and just feel into bed.   

Thursday was colder, windier and definitely took more effort to paint. I sat out on the middle of a hill looking at the East Barns with an old house and barn.  Great view and good perspective, but it really started to get too cold.  Jumping of the shuttle, i was taken back to my car where I left to go home and frame this painting to return it by 6:00 pm that evening.   Wow!!!

The show was Friday through Sunday with over 900 paintings from all the artists and photographers. With all those paintings I sold my watercolor of Christ Church.

This was a great deal of work and yet a growing experience that helped me be able to focus and pick out a possible painting quicker.  It also helped me to learn how to paint more rapidly. It also helped improve my painting skills.  Some of these paintings will be in future shows for you to see the sights I painted.

Summer Garden Series Painting sold at Wayne Art Center

This summer my daughter and I went out to a home on Garret Mill Road to paint.  While she spent the time taking photos of the old barn, surrounding area and animals.  I picked a shady spot and drew the barn and then painted it.  Dawn came over after she was finishing taking photos and did some sketching and did a great job.......now if I can get her to paint more.

We spent the morning there and just enjoyed the chickens and Guinea hens walking around us as we painted listening the sheep in the barn.  Here is the painting I completed.  Here is a photo of the barn.  Below it is the only photo I have of the partially completed painting as I took it to the Wayne Art Center for a show in late September.  This was a show of all the paintings different artist completed this summer.   And IT WAS SOLD!!!!!!!!

I am thankful for the ability to paint and sell what I paint.

I was excited because when I first started to paint "PLEIN AIR" it took me all day to complete a painting.  I would first start by doing a sketch and complete a watercolor study that usually took me all morning trying to get the right colors and proportions.  Then I would complete a painting in the afternoon.  Now I am doing he sketch right on the watercolor paper and instead of a study, I start the finished painting.  This is more practical and I can finish a painting in a shorter period of time watching the weather and sky and shadows.   

I have the following coming up shortly.  The OCEAN CITY BLOCK PARTY is October 12th with originals and prints......on the block where the Tabernacle is located on the Tabernacle side!!

October 20th to 27th will be the BRANDYWINE PLEIN AIR that I am in for the first year with a show the end of the week at the Winterthur Visitors Center.   I am looking forward to this.

In November I will be back at the PennCrest High School Christmas sale and that usually means clearly out specials for the winter.

This winter in February and March, I have two big shows that  I have been painting for over the past several months.  I have some new originals including a lighthouse and some barns from our trip to New England.

Any questions send me an email or check out my FACEBOOK PAGE............Bruce

WORKING ON SHOWS FOR THIS FALL

After a busy summer, I have been painting and preparing for a number of shows this fall and winter.  Our trip to New England has inspired me to paint some fresh new watercolors and bigger paintings.

I had the opportunity to paint out doors - Plein Air - at Winterthur.  This location is at the East Barns and was a misty day to begin with.  Jim Evans, a friend and I walked around until the weather turned better and we sat overlooking this pond with the home and barn in the back ground.  It was an enjoyable experience as it warmed up.

My first show will be in Ocean City....the big Fall Clock Party that runs from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm and will be in the block of the Tabernacle.  We look forward to seeing you and showing you my new originals in addition to many framed prints of different sizes and prices.

I have been also painting outdoors and will be in the BRANDYWINE PLEIN AIR  in Chester County in late October. Profits will benefit the Children's Museum.
          The mission of CBH is to help children with special needs to reach their highest potential as functioning members of their families and communities.  CBH focuses upon the strengths of the 7- to 18-year-old youth with special needs and their families.

 If the weather is good it will be an interesting opportunity to capture the area around the Brandywine River.  I am not sure of the exact sites to be painted but feel it will include some mansions, historic sites and museums.  Then there will be a Gala art exhibition and sale on October 25th, opening at 6:30 p.m. at The Visitor’s Center of Winterthur Museum, Gardens and Library for artists, patrons, and guests.  It will last all weekend

As I get more details I will let you know so you can come out and observe where we are painting.

Summer Activity

This has been a busy summer with traveling to find new places to paint, spending time with my family, taking time to paint outdoors by myself and with our daughter Dawn and visiting several watercolor shows and locations.  We took a vacation with our youngest daughter and spent time in New England and managed to take 800 photos between both of us as we saw lighthouses, the Olson House that Andrew Wyeth painted "Cristina's World" and took a tour of their home, saw a show of Winslow Homer's work and took two whale watch cruises but alas...no whales.  Then Dawn came with me painting out doors - Dawn sketched and I painted among the chickens and roosters crowing.

                                                Motif # 1 in Rockport, MA

Olson House in Cushing , ME

Pemaquid Piont Lighthouse, ME

I am excited with my out door painting called Plein Air as I have learned to paint quicker and still retain the focal point of the painting.  Contrasting two of my plein air paintings will give you an idea.  My first two plein air paintings took time to complete  a study and then a final painting taking all day from 9:00 to 3:00.  This summer I took less time to sketch and finished a watercolor both in about 3 hours.  So painting quicker means less detail but by placing more detail in the focus area and using brighter colors, the paintings still are vibrant and exciting.

Since then I have been painting and getting ready for my out door shows and for a number of jury shows I will try to get in this fall.  By the way you can follow me on Facebook for more up to date information  

West Chester Paint The Town

Several weeks ago , I participated in the West Chester Paint the Town although I did not get as many paintings as last year when I completed 7.  This year due to some other conflicts and the weather, I only completed two.  One small 8 x 10 of a home with a fountain and then my larger painting of three historic homes across form Marshall Park.

Historic Homes of West Chester

Home on Church Street

These three homes all appealed to my desire to paint historic homes.  It is hard to paint different bricks on three different homes.  I also painted these homes in an afternoon as these were part of the plein air contest.  It was great sitting under the trees in the park painting while birds sang overhead and people with their dogs walked by.  Hope you enjoy this painting.

This summer, we will be off to New England to find some new exciting places, buildings and scenes to paint.