Alpine Groves Park, St Augustine, Florida

It was a beautiful day at Alpine Groves Park. I did two paintings. The palm is on an 11 x 14 inch stretched canvas and the azalea was done on an 8 x 10 stretched canvas.  I enjoyed doing both paintings .

Please me know what you think?  Thanks,  Diana

Eleanor Blair wow is all I can say!

What a fantastic day today was! Only one bad thing happened (tell ya later) but I don'tt care because I was numb with amazement at the beautiful art work I got to watch in process today!

Eleanor Blair
http://www.eleanorblairstudio.com/

Eleanor and other artist were Plein Air painting at the Thomas Center, in Gainesville, Florida just for today.
I called some of my painting buddies and my special friend , Niki, and off we went to see the artist at work.

I found Elanor pretty fast. She had just finished a painting and was about to start another. I placed my little (haha) back end right next to her ( at her invitation..smile) and she went to work. I watched her painting the whole painting from start to finish. She talked about how she decided to do a subject and how to work it out on the canvas and colors and so much more. Do I remember everything she said..NOT but I hope it will all come back to me when I paint tomorrow.

Let me tell you her paintbrush danced all over the canvas and "tap, stroke and touch". What an amazing talent she has. She was kind to put up with all my questions. And she answered them too. I got to see REAL BEAUTIFUL PAINT" on her palette I can't afford those pure pigment paints yet but one day??????????????????

Here are some photos of Eleanor. Now I want you to understand her big smile was just for me!
haha!

What a super day..
Except for one little thing. I fell!  I was looking at a painting and walking  away there  was a step down which I didn't see. Yep right there in front of God and everyone I fell really bad.  I hurt both feet. One is now wrapped with an ace bandage and the other kind of looks terrible..cuts abrasions and is now bruising..And my kneed that took the fall is now quite larger than the other..ugh   Oh well I will mend and I had a wonderful day.

 

  

 

Ortega Park In Jacksonville, Flordia

.Feb.20, 2010  
I went to a workshop given by Donna Grasso. My dear friend Tina came with me. We had a wonderful day. Weather here in North Florida has been very cold. We lucked out and the weather was just beautiful.  Tina and I picked a spot near a large tree.  I learned a lot at this work shop..I learned that Donna is a fantastic painter.  LOL  I'm still struggling on my struggle to loosen up. Here is  the painting I did. The first is the painting I did at the park and the next is a re-do I did at home. Guess what I don't like either of them..ugh

It was supposed to be a beautiful day this past Friday! but turned out to be a bit chilly and windy.
Even tho the weather was not the best I went to Gold Head with 3 wonderful Friends.
Amy, from  Jacksonville, Fl., and Donna and Carol (sisters and snow birds), from Canada.


I gave Donna and Carol a little tour of Gold Head and then we settled on a location. What was I thinking when I suggested this location? It was down a large slope. And we had lots of supplies to carry down. Oh yes and carry or should I say struggle  back up with our supplies. ugh...  We had a really nice lunch and then looked around to decide on what we would each paint. 


I found a huge old oak. That caught my eye right away so that was what I wanted to paint. I'm not sure how long we were there. I got  right down to painting. I found some things difficult..Like trying to stay straight..I was sitting on a big slope and trying to keep everything from moving away from me.  I wouldn't give up on the big oak so I kept painting. Donna and Carol spotted some ducks playing in the  lake..they even told me the exact kind of ducks they were. Cool!
We had a wonderful time and I sure hope they ALL will come along with me on another adventure of painting.


This is my painting from our day at Gold Head.
11 x14 stretched canvas

Any comments are more than welcome!

Gold Head January 2010

 I went to Gold Head last Sunday. This painting is a 11x 14 on stretched canvas. I picked a spot that I liked and tried to give it a go..
I leanred that on Sunday there are a lot of people at the park. At least 10 or more people stopped by and asked me questions about what I was doing. I really didn't know what to say except I was having fun trying to learn how to paint outside (Plein Air). One husband and wife just stood and watched for too long..LOL  So I won't be going back on Sunday unless I pick a  spot that's private. It's not that I don't like people, I do.  But I need time to learn what the heck I am doing.  Big Smile!


I am not sure what I was thinking when I painted the trees. But that is what I did so I left them alone.


Thanks for looking 

          YOUR COMMENTS ARE WELCOME!  


LET ME KNOW YOU STOPPED BY~

Link to my Web Site

www.dianawhite.com

New Loose Painting Practice

I ordered a CD from Tom Brown, on line, it's a good instructional CD Plein Air Painting. I did lesson number 2 and this is the results. I will re-do this painting because I can see areas that need improvement. It was my first real attempt at using new brush strokes to accompolish a more loose painting.

I

Gold Head Branch State Park, Florida

This painting is called a study. Done really fast and without much detail. I only took a little bit of supplies and spent about an hour at Gold Head. This oil painting was done on a masonite board 8 x 10 inches.
Not sure if I like it and it's not loose like I want it to be. I can see I have a lot more to learn and  work to do. I'll just keep on trying.

Painting with my Daughter, Ginnie, At Gold Head State Park

Above is my Daughter "Ginnie" we had a great day!


The last day of warm weather my daughter went to Gold Head with me to paint. Seems like  it was a long time ago with the weather turning so cold this past week.  UGH!   She is not a painter but went to have fun. Have fun we did!


We decided on another area to paint. I call it The Creek" Set up or easels and started painting. It was so quiet with both of us concentrating on the beautiful scene before us. Before we knew it 4 hours had flown by. We had a couple of visitors stop by. They were very interested in what we were doing so I bluffed my way through the conversations. I believe I sounded like I knew what I was doing. Big Smile... I took a photo of  Ginnie painting. Can't take a photo of myself..darn it. Anyway we had a great time. It is so relaxing being in the quiet and surrounded by beauty of nature.  I still have so much to learn. Oh my!

First Plein Air Paintings

I went to Gold Head State Park the first part of Dec. 2009. I did 3 paintings of the same view on 3 different days. Amy, a friend, went with me on one of my trips.  The area I painted is called  "Lake View."  I knew or should I say know nothing about painting outside. I just jumped in and gave it a try. The paintings are my same ole style. The learning to change process is A WORK IN PROGRESS.