Learning to oil paint brings new challenges -- and opportunities!

    First came the apple. Then came I. (Afterward, I ate the apple. And it was done.) 

    Plopping myself down on a lawn chair on the screened-in porch, I picked up my paintbrush and hesitantly dabbed it into the blue and red paint to make a purple-like mix on the brush. This color is what I use to make the "sketch" of the apple. I paint the light and dark areas that I see, on the canvas with a light or dark shade of this purple color. That saves the time of making a pencil and paper sketch. Maybe I'll try that someday -- not today.

     I find the dark and light areas of the apple by squinting at it. That in itself, is a new way of looking at objects that I've learned this year,   

     My paint has been too thick of late, so next time I will thin it down by using the mineral spirits; or the Almond Oil, my artist friend, Sharon Rusch Shaver, uses exclusively.

     It's satisfying and engaging to get out my painting gear and hunker down to make a small simple painting. Honestly, it wasn't easy! I like the way the oil paint goes smoothly onto the Senso linen canvas, too.... much different than a white canvas.

     This weekend, I will try to get motivated to take out my paints again. 

     Little by little. Small things and small steps are great and wonderful things. A brush moving on canvas. Easy. Take it easy. The weekend has arrived.

Plein Air painting in the Rocky Mountains

I would like to thank Sharon Rusch Shaver, a talented painter and adventure artist, for giving me the motivation to paint outdoors in the beautiful Rocky Mountains.  I have never felt so inspired and joyful. She taught me and several artists a different way to look at the mountains and the outdoors. She taught us to capture the mountains and scenery on a canvas with oil paints. The challenge -- which I embraced -- was to get a painting done in approximately two hours, and then, just, step away! For me, I would lay down the brush, and say, "Done," I'm out." What I have on the canvas, it is what I saw -- my interpretation and style. I have a painting style. How thrilling! Each of us had a unique style. We helped and motivated each other. 

Plein Air painting is challenging! Just as she said it would be. Sharon diligently corralled the team of painters each morning (after coffee) and hustled us out to a beautiful site where we set up our easels and hunkered down and painted. One day it rained. The wind blew so hard another day, Sharon's painting blew off its easel and had to be fished out of a lake. 

I have never felt such a feeling of calm and excitement at the same time! It takes courage to go forth and live my own dream in spite of life's challenges. It takes strength to carry all the supplies, paints, tripod, art box and back pack through a marsh, too. Thanks Sharon and thanks to Dan, her "Sherpa" husband, for inspiring me to live large and live joyfully.

Visit Sharon and become an Adventure Artist at  http://sharonruschshaver.com/


Oil paintings from the Rocky Mountains, Colorado, by Carol Labashosky

This last piece is done in oil pastels. I just couldn't get enough and stayed in the Rocky Mountains another day.

Plein Air painting: a joyful way to celebrate nature

"Plein Air" is French, meaning outside. Painting outdoors in the fresh air is something that I tried for the first time this summer. A friend invited me out, last month, to give it a try. As a result, I bought my own supplies and hit the trail at the Kentucky Bernheim Forest
Preserve, shifting into high gear. Outdoor painting was exactly the boost I needed to get out of the studio, out of a creative rut, and out of my house. 

The colors and lighting outside are bright. I used a lot of green colors, but I decided to spruce up the scene with more vivid colors making the flowers stand out. The thing I noticed is, that being a beginner, I would like to practice using more of a combination of vertical and horizontal elements in my paintings. I can paint different sections, not just right to left in lines of what I see.

Plein Air requires a mobile set up. I had to be sure to have paints, brushes, a tripod and an easel on hand that were easy to carry. Plus a water spray bottle to keep the acrylic paints wet, Both times, it was very very hot out, and I'm glad I brought drinks. And a sun visor.

It was remarkable to do a complete painting in one sitting over a couple of hours. And, the  term "sitting" is relative. The first time, out at Louisville's, The Woodlands, I brought a fold-up chair. The next time, I stood and fended off many small hovering little bees. Next time, I'll bring bug spray.

See you outside - 

The long and winding road, with some beautiful landscaping at Bernheim Forest.

Painting outdoors at The Woodlands near a pond. No bugs that day.