More about goats!

It’s been a tumultuous week. My husband Paul has spent the last eight days recovering from a terrible allergic reaction to a prescribed drug. Although it looks like he will be o.k., the doctors agree that it may take 2 to 3 MONTHS before he fully recovers. His symptoms ranged from a swollen, angry-red leg (thankfully not a blood clot) and crippling back spasms which resulted in an ambulance ride to the emergency room. Now on the other side of the active reaction, we are so thankful that it wasn’t worse. He is up and taking short walks and slowly getting back to doing the things he enjoys.

And lately I’m drawn to goats! This week’s painting, Josie, 8” x 10” on 300 lb. Watercolor paper, captures a baby goat playing “king of the hill” on rocks in a sunny pasture.   

To see more paintings, visit my website, www.wildriverarts.com. And I’d love to visit with you about painting your favorite photograph – just send a request to my email at dstullkinsley@gmail.com.

 

 

 

Sailboat at sunset

The Grand Marais harbor acts like a magnet for photographers and artists with its iconic lighthouse, anchored sailboats and spectacular sunsets. This week’s painting, Sunset Mooring, 10” x 14” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, captures the light of the setting sun silhouetting a moored sailboat.

Plein Air #2 – September Surf

One of the joys of participating in the recent Grand Marais Plein Air event was the opportunity to see and experience some of the beautiful vistas dotting the North Shore of Minnesota. For me, a highlight of the event surely was the Sunday morning I spent painting on the beach at Naniboujou Lodge. If you haven’t been there before, be sure to put it on your bucket list! Built in 1929 as a getaway for wealthy investors, it’s now a welcoming inn for all visitors – even offering to pack lunches for day-trip hikers. In addition to its spectacular dining room, it’s located on an especially picturesque section of the lakeshore, and I was thrilled when the owners granted me permission to set up my easel on the hill just off the beach.

I had a breathtaking view of the big lake, trees beginning to take on the colors of fall, and beachcombers relaxing on the many Adirondack chairs or trekking slowly up and down the shoreline. It was a beautiful day – with warm sunshine, soft breezes, and lightly rolling waves on the beach – and it was made all the more special by the many folks I met! It was especially fun to take a brief break and visit with visitors from Thunder Bay, Ontario. It seems there is a group that comes down every Sunday to partake in the wonderful breakfast buffet in the lodge dining room.

This second plein air painting is titled: September Surf, 8” x 10” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, and reflects the incredible view of Lake Superior along Naniboujou beach.

 

 

 

Goats and circles of light!

Earth Arts of the Upper St. Croix Valley is sponsoring its Annual Fall Salon to be held from November 10-30, 2017. This month-long art show is hosted by the artZ Gallery in Amery, WI, and includes a wide representation of art created by Earth Arts members. The show is based on a theme, one voted on by the membership, and this year’s theme is “Circles of Light.” For the exhibition or salon, each Earth Arts member is invited to create and display up to two pieces based on their interpretation of this theme.

As a first-year member of this group, I’ve been thinking about what might represent a “circles of light” painting for me. And after reading the “Goats of Anarchy” book given to me by one of my daughters, I guess baby goat kids have been on my mind! It was the darker background surrounding the lighter subject and the circular shadows framing the edges of this baby kid that caught my eye as a possible entry for this exhibit.

This week’s painting is titled: Maisie, 8” x 9.5” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, and captures a baby goat enjoying a sunshine-y, light-filled day.

 

 

 

Plein Air Perspective

My first plein air event was an incredible experience! We traveled to Grand Marais, MN, on Friday, September 8 and arrived at the Art Colony in early afternoon. After registering, we headed out to the first location. All three of my painting days were perfect – blue skies, light breezes, warm temperatures, and the rolling surf of Lake Superior. Over the course of the weekend, husband Paul and Maddie (our much-loved cocker spaniel who doesn’t realize she’s a dog!) were terrific at helping me schlepp all my supplies. And I'm pretty sure if you ask Paul, he would be more than willing to share his tips for paring down my stuff for next time! 😊 We were totally worn out after our drive home on Monday afternoon.

Even though I wasn't able to stay for the full nine days of this event, I learned so much and was able to complete three paintings! We selected the best one, framed it on Monday morning, and I submitted it for the judging to be held at the Johnson Heritage Center in Grand Marais on Friday, September 15.

Skills gained:

·         When faced with a fantastic panoramic view, I now feel more confident of the process for “cropping down” and what it takes to create a well-balanced artwork;

·         I learned how quickly the light on your subject can change and worked to adjust my technique to embrace the reality of shifting light; and

·         I had the opportunity to meet a wonderful variety of people who stopped to visit and incredibly talented fellow artists!

 

As you may guess, it’s on my list to return to Grand Marais for next year’s event!

This week’s painting, East of Kadunce, 8” x 10” on 300 lb. Watercolor paper, was my entry in the Open Class of the 2017 Plein Air event. It reflects the big lake on a sunshine-y, late afternoon day when the water took on shades of deep blue.

 

 

Back to School

It was a wonderful Labor Day weekend spent visiting with family and friends. The weather was perfect, and we had time to explore new playgrounds, share stories, take a pontoon ride, catch fish, and enjoy a campfire. And it was such fun to hear the excitement in the voices of our grandchildren who were getting ready to start school the next day. With 10 grandchildren, from ages 1½ to 13, we are thrilled that they are all doing well and excited to learn.

That’s what I enjoy about watercolor painting – there is always something new to learn. I’m preparing for the plein air event on Friday and experimenting with some of my favorite colors to discover how they interact and fuse together. It’s a process, and I’m finding it not only varies due to value and intensity, it also depends on the texture and absorbency of the paper.

This week’s painting, Sunrise Run, 9” x 13” on 300 lb. Watercolor strives to capture the feeling of motoring across a quiet lake in a fishing boat as the sun rises over the horizon.

 

 

Lake View

Over the past few days, the weather has changed and you can definitely feel Fall in the air. I’m loving it! While others may like soaking up heat and humidity, I’m a northern girl at heart and love cooler temps and an excuse to pull on a sweatshirt! We’ve had a lot of rain this summer, and the Maple leaves in our area are promising a splendid display. A few of the trees in our lake neighborhood have already taken on their amazing autumn colors.

I’m continuing to prepare for the upcoming plein air festival slated to happen in a couple of weeks in Grand Marais. This week’s painting, Lake View, 8” x 10” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, reflects the joy of relaxing – taking time to find a comfortable seat and simply enjoying the view of morning mist lifting off a beautiful lake.