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Oakwood Chapel en plein air,
currently at the gallery |
A couple of weeks ago, I participated in a plein air painting event. (If you subscribe to my other email newsletter, you have already seen a bunch of these paintings.) It was a bit scary for me, because I usually paint in my studio or my family room, and I call myself an abstract painter. I was unsure how well I could keep up with the physical demands of painting outside and taking my gear everywhere I went, and I hoped I could come up with paintings I liked.
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Oakwood Chapel;
Lakeside Park, sold, award;
Woodland Pond, sold |
Well, good news, I loved the whole thing! I did like my work, and others seemed to appreciate it too. And I survived the physical challenges and was not as completely spent as I expected to be. I am actually planning to participate in a few more events this summer, including one this coming weekend in Winona Lake, IN.
I painted four paintings, though I have brought one home to finish it in my studio. The best news about it is that one of the paintings was awarded a merit award, and two of them sold - woo-hoo! And although I have considered plein air painting a hobby, I have really enjoyed it and may pursue it more often.
In preparation for the event last week, I painted a studio version of one of the venues where I hoped to paint. I did paint there during the event, actually, but my painting still needs some work before I consider it to be finished. But the Main Channel Marina on the lake has a few places that I find so interesting. I love the mix of industrial and natural that I found in this boat lift, with water lilies and other lake plant life (and turtles, but you can't see them here!). The Main Channel Marina Boat Lift painting is available on my website.
While the plein air painting has been a lot of fun, I am also working on a larger abstract painting based on my time reading from the Old Testament book of Joshua. Joshua has reminded me about the idea of God, Himself setting boundaries for his people in a literal way in the case of Israel. It reminds me that He is a God who has good plans for His children, and that He will set my boundaries too. It has been a huge help to focus on these concepts lately - it is way too easy for me to fuss and worry about things that are not actually part of my territory! As Joshua neared the end of his life, he encouraged the leaders of Israel, and I found this verse to be very meaningful to me, too.
Joshua 23:11 So take diligent heed to yourselves to love the Lord your God.
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