Beowulf & Lavender, 6x6

"Beowulf & Lavender" 6x6" oil

This past week the weather was spectacular here in Oregon and the Lavender Festival Plein Air event was well underway. I had gone out 4 different times to paint with oils and produced 3 presentable ones that I entered into the show.  I felt like I painted so much lavender that I began to suffer from purple-eye-diss. Ack! There is only so much you can paint with rows and rows of purple, but hey, it's so blissfully fragrant.  So, in order to mix things up a bit and paint something different, I asked my daughter to pose for a few artists and I for a live model session with some more...ugh,  lavender.  It was really fun to paint a live model plein air, but I do see some needed adjustments to the piece that I may change later.  After turning in of the work at the show, I immediately went out an painted something urban to help wash any purple-eye-diss. 

After painting my daughter Nikki in the lavender field

Unfortunately, I was unable to make the reception to the show due to a prior engagement, but found out at the conclusion of the show that my work "Mountainside Lavender" won a 2nd place and "A Direct Relative" earned an Honorable Mention.  Woo Hoo!

Surprised and encouraged with my oil paintings "Mountainside Lavender" 

and "A Direct Relative"

These two pieces will be hanging in Currents Gallery in McMinnville for the month of August. Info to your right--->

With all this great weather we are having, I am finding it a challenge to be in the studio to work on the business side of my art.  I have much work to do for a commission as well as preparation for another Pastel Punch! workshop and the Oregon Plein Air Invitational.  So I may not post for a few weeks. Until then, enjoy something summery and wonderfully fun!