Bear at Bear Creek Park

Could there be anything more appropriate than a bear wandering around Bear Creek Park while we plein air painted? There he was just a few yards away seemingly enjoying himself as we were!
Painting en plein air is certainly one of the most satisfying ways to enjoy your day outdoors. I don't know of anything that is more fun, enjoyable, frustrating and almost impossible! That has to be one of the reasons I am so drawn to painting outdoors. I am preparing for a show of my plein air work at our Art on Mountain Gallery starting September 1 here in beautiful downtown Fort Collins. Come and join us on Art Walk night, September 3rd, at 102 West Mountain Avenue from 5 to 9. I will have about 20 new plein air paintings to show from the last couple of years of painting from Tuscany to Malibu, Colorado to Texas. The great thing about a plein air painting is that you can almost feel the atmosphere that the artist enjoyed at the time of the painting, unlike a studio painting, it's all right HERE, mosquitoes embedded in the painting, a few bear hairs and the usual blood, sweat and tears!!

Cruising the Baltic Sea

Could anything be more beautiful than cruising the Baltic Sea? Visiting London, Bruges, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki, Rostock, St. Petersberg and Tallin, Estonia. Wow. We are numb with exhaustion! But it was gorgeous and there will be a few paintings resulting from this trip although my forte is landscapes, mostly with just nature and there are lots of buildings on our photos!

Glad to be home.