Two Tugs, No Tugging

Two Tugs, No Tugging

at the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania boatyard docks
painted from the dry dock near Urban Outfitters
painted plein air on October 18, 2019
10" x 8" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam,
and Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness
and permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on
140 lb. Fabriano Artistico cold press rough 100%
cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $300

Our Maine Gang of Five in PA
at the Brandywine Plein
Air Festival 2019

On our Free Friday Carol (foreground),
Bobbi (middle distance),
Ed (background), and I painted
at the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
boatyard by the mothballed U.S.S.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy aircraft carrier,
while Sara visited family.

Carol Douglas' website HERE and blog HERE
Bobbi Heath's website HERE
Ed Buonvecchio's web site HERE
Sara Gray's website HERE

 Some photos of us during the week
taken by the Plein Air Brandywine
Festival 2019 photographers:


Sara Gray painting


Ed Buonvecchio painting


Bobbi Heath turning in her daily art


Ed Buonvecchio, (me) Bruce McMillan,
and Carol Douglas during the cool
windy Nocturne


I'm having a pleasant chat during
opening night, over 700 new paintings,
Sara Gray on the right.

Optimistic and Pensive

Optimistic and Pensive

Sunflowers at Rushton Woods Preserve in Newtown Square,
Pennsylvania, painted plein air on October 16, 2019
8" x 10" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam,
and Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness
and permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on
140 lb. Fabriano Artistico cold press rough 100%
cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $300

Sunflower Bright Sky

Sunflower Bright Sky

at Rushton Woods Preserve in Newtown Square,
Pennsylvania, painted plein air on October 16, 2019
5" x 7" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam,
and Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness
and permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on
140 lb. Fabriano Artistico cold press rough 100%
cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $150

Night Falls into Art

Night Falls into Art

Nocturne at the Brandywine Plein Air Festival
painted plein air October 17, 2019
10" x 8" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam,
and Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness
and permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on
140 lb. Fabriano Artistico cold press rough 100%
cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $300

Four Down One to Go

Four Down One to Go

flowering in a pot in Marshalton, Pennsylvania
during the Plein Air Brandywine Festival event
painted plein air on October 15, 2019
14" x 11" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam,
and Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness
and permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on
140 lb. Fabriano Artistico cold press rough 100%
cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $500

My flowery subject...as we artists painted our
4:00-6:00 pm Quick Draw in
Marshalton, Pennsylvania

Plein Air Parasols Gardening

Plein Air Parasols Gardening

at Brandywine Cottage, in Downington, Pennsylvania
painted plein air on October 15, 2019
10" x 8" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam,
and Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness
and permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on
140 lb. Fabriano Artistico cold press rough 100%
cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $300

Find the Plein Air Painter

Quiz
There's a plein air painter painting in the garden at
Brandywine Cottage in each photo. Can you find the painter?
 

1
 

2
 

3

Up and Across and Down

Up and Across and Down

a banana plant growing in a pot
outside at Brandywine Cottage,
which is featured in the book, The Layered Garden,
painted plein air on October 15, 2019
as part of the Plein Air Brandywine Festival,
14" x 11" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam,
and Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness
and permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on
140 lb. Fabriano Artistico cold press rough 100%
cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $500

The plein air watercolor painting set up.

Quiz:
Can you spot a plein air painter
in the photo below?

 Another banana frond with
a distinctive white painter's cap
on a painter in there somewhere.

 

Tongues in Trees

 Tongues in Trees

at a Winterthur rock sculpture installation
painted plein air as part of the Brandywine Plein
Air Festival on October 18, 2019
14" x 11" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam,
and Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness
and permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on
140 lb. Fabriano Artistico cold press rough 100%
cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $500

The plein air setup

The stone engraving

Tongues in trees,
books in running brooks,
sermons in stones,
and good in everything.

 
-William Shakespeare, As You Like It, Act 2, Scene 1, Line 15

FYI: "Shakespeare is having the duke purposely (deliberately) conclude that nature "speaks" more eloquently and truly than people with their tongues, books, and sermons. Stones (inanimate objects) turn out to be better company than people who seek favors by using flattery, charm, etc."

The sculpture setting

Which Way Is the Sun?

Which Way Is the Sun?

at Rushton Woods Preserve in Newtown Square,
Pennsylvania, painted plein air on October 16, 2019
painted as part of the Plein Air Brandywine Festival 2019,
14" x 11" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam,
and Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness
and permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on
140 lb. Fabriano Artistico cold press rough 100%
cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $500

Chickens at Brandywine Cottage...

What Painters?

Chickens at Brandywine Cottage,
which is featured in the book, The Layered Garden,
painted plein air on October 15, 2019
10" x 8" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam,
and Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness
and permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on
140 lb. Fabriano Artistico cold press rough 100%
cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $300, painted as part of the
Plein Air Brandywine Festival 2019,
the website HERE

Peck Peck Stroll

Chickens at Brandywine Cottage,
which is featured in the book, The Layered Garden,
painted plein air on October 15, 2019
14" x 11" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam,
and Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness
and permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on
140 lb. Fabriano Artistico cold press rough 100%
cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $500

Curious about painting? Peck, peck, stroll.

The Brandywine Cottage
The chickens' coop is near the cottage,
just beyond the painter on the left. 

Read the NY Times article
3,000 Plants, and Then Some
about the cottage and it's noted garden HERE

See David L. Culp's website and more about
this fabulous garden HERE. And a chicken HERE!

See the book on amazon HERE.

Christina Bye Wilmington

Christina Bye Wilmington

as the Christina River flows past Wilmington, Delaware
painted plein air October 14, 2019
on the walkway at the Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife
Refuge in the DuPont Environmental Education Center,
Wilmington, Delaware,
14" x 11 (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam,
and Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness
and permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on
140 lb. Fabriano Artistico cold press rough 100%
cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $500

The setup

The Christina River is named after Queen Christina of Sweden (1626-1689); the first permanent European settlement in Delaware in 1638 was Swedish, the colony of New Sweden

The DuPont / Refuge website is HERE.

Painted as part of the Plein Air Brandywine Festival 2019, the website HERE

Island in the Thoroughfare

Island in the Thoroughfare

looking at the Deer Isle Thoroughfare from the
woods and rocks by Sand Beach in Stonington, Maine
painted plein air September 28, 2019
10" x 8" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam,
and Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness
and permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb.
Arches cold press rough 100% cotton watercolor paper
framed, $300

Birch Leaves Leaving

Birch Leaves Leaving

over the sea as they change color
at Settlement Quarry on Deer Isle, Maine
painted plein air September 29, 2019
10" x 8" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam,
and Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness
and permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on
140 lb. Fabriano Artistico cold press rough 100%
cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $300

The plein air setup on a granite stone bench

Island Reclining - Go Figure Studies

Island Reclining - Go Figure,
Study 3

off Sand Beach in Stonington, Maine
painted plein air September 28, 2019
18" x 13" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam,
and Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness
and permanence, and Prismacolor waterproof fade proof ink on
140 lb. Fabriano Artistico cold press rough 100%
cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $700
  

Island Reclining - Go Figure,
Study 2

off Sand Beach in Stonington, Maine
painted plein air September 28, 2019
10" x 8" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam,
and Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness
and permanence, and Prismacolor waterproof fade proof ink on
140 lb. Fabriano Artistico cold press rough 100%
cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $300

Settlement Quarry View

Settlement Quarry View

from the no longer quarried quarry
painted plein air September 29, 2019
10" x 8" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam,
and Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness
and permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on
140 lb. Fabriano Artistico cold press rough 100%
cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $300

The plein air setup on a granite stone bench

The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston was made from Settlement Quarry granite from this hill.

Settlement Quarry is part of the Island Heritage Trust on Deer Isle, Maine, their web site HERE.

Top Notch Moored

Top Notch Moored

moored for the night in evening light
painted plein air on September 28, 2019
5" x 7" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam,
and Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness
and permanence, and #3 graphite on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico
cold press rough 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $150

In Stonington harbor lobsterboats in sunset light, swing at their moorings, left to right, Miss Pickle, Rebecca Marie, Lynn Marie, and, in the foreground, Top Notch.

 

Marginal Inlet

Marginal Inlet

along Marginal Way in Ogunquit Maine painted plein air on September 26, 2019 7" x 5" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam, and Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness and permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico cold press fine grain 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper framed.
$250

Painting with Painter Friends
Debbie Mueller (l), Bruce McMillan (c), Sara Gray (r)
 

The last time we'd painted was in July
at the 2019 Castine (Maine) Plein Air Festival
 

Debbie Mueller's website HERE
Sara Gray's website HERE

Low Tide Parsons Beach

Low Tide Parsons Beach

in Kennebunk, Maine
on June 27, 2012, painted August 25, 2019
10" x 8" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam,
and Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness
and permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on
140 lb. Fabriano Artistico cold press rough 100%
cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $300

Still Life at Parsons Beach

Still Life at Parsons Beach

with three Meyers lemons
on February 9, 2014, painted August 25, 2019
14" x 11" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam,
and Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness
and permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on
140 lb. Fabriano Artistico cold press rough 100%
cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $500

Hope Town Hurricane - Memories

Hurricane Dorian
Hope Town, Bahamas
Now and Then
when I painted here in 2015...

Now: Quoted report and Now photos are from the Hope Town Facebook Page Sept 2, 2019
 
Then: In February 2015 I painted at Susan Abbot's Painting Workshop at Hope Town, Elbow Cay, Abaco, Bahamas, now devastated by a direct hit from Hurricane Dorian.
The Marsh Harbor Airport is still underwater and the ferries from Marsh Harbor to Hope Town, Elbow Cay, have sunk.

1
The walk today where we walked to meet for our workshop. Hurricane Dorian is the worst hurricane to ever hit the northern Bahamas in its recorded history with up 220 mph gusting winds, plus there were possible tornadoes.

2
Our studio house back then.
"When Hurricane Dorian reached Category 5 intensity, peaking with one-minute sustained winds of 185 mph and a minimum central pressure of 910 millibars the eye made landfall, a direct hit, in Hope town, Elbow Cay, Bahamas with a possible 15-23 ft. storm surge."

3
I stayed at the Hope Town Harbor Lodge. Everything was so lush and green. My room is still there, the yellow top left room (circled) remains, though the rest of the floor is gone, the Lodge devastated. An overturned white van is barely noticeable on the right. The Lodge's dock was or is (unknown) behind the person taking this photo across the parking lot at the water's edge. "No reports of injuries or casualties. All parts of the island were damaged, roofs gone, buildings demolished (probably tornadoes). Flooding has been reported and the dune in White Sound is gone. Some buildings were badly damaged but are still standing."

4
Hope Town Harbor Lodge Dock View
"In Hope Town, it's confirmed that the Harbour's Edge and Capt'n Jack's has been destroyed. Also, Abaco Inn was pretty much destroyed and villas G & H are gone. On Lubbers Quarters, Cracker P's took a direct hit." I used to enjoy dinner at the Harbour's Edge HERE (gone), nice memories still remain.

5
The Hope Town School
I visited the school and visited classrooms, where I was warmly greeted with the student's holding up their schoolbooks which had a short version of Nights of the Pufflings in it.
"Help is on the way through numerous sources including the US Coast Guard and private entities. Care must be taken because the waters surrounding the islands are strewn with debris, but some of the docks still exist in Hope Town and can be used."

6
Down the road, then.

7
Sea Spray, White Sound, Elbow Cay. See what the Sea Spray was like before on their web site HERE
"In the Man o War Harbor, all of the Albury, and G & L Ferries have sunk. Every boat including the ones in Eastern Harbour have sunk or are gone. On Monday Morning it's seen that a couple of docks are okay in the Harbour and they believe boats can get in."

8
It was a lovely place to paint, as seen here in Hope Town.

9
On one day our workshop painted here at the Firefly Sunset Resort, a great day. Their website with photos is HERE.

10
"Plans are in place for boats to leave Nassau with basic supplies for Hope Town as soon as the weather permits. Plans are being put in place stateside to organize the relief efforts from here."

My heart goes out to the Elbow Cay locals at this devastating time.

2015 Painting Workshop Day 1 HERE
2015 Painting Workshop Day 2 HERE
2015 Painting Workshop Day 3 HERE
2015 Painting Workshop Day 4 HERE