The next competition I'm putting work into is the event being held in Rockford, IL, at the Natural Land Institute. The subject matter has to be of the Nygren Wetland Preserve in Rockton, IL. This preserve has several different habitats, ranging from Savanna to Prarie to Wetland to Bottomland Forest over a span of 721 acres. There is a single trail that circles this area, including a long stretch that is actually a reclaimed railroad. The event allows you to start a piece there and finish it from your studio, working from photos. We need to turn in two paintings by this Friday. This is one of the reference photos I've chosen to work from.

I'm working larger for this piece, since I'll have more time to spend on it, this painting is oil on panel at 14" x 20" - a size that I happened to have one frame for. I'm in the process of fabricating another frame for the second piece. This stage shows my block in, just trying to find the layout and place my areas of contrast. I'm working from my netbook sitting on a desk next to me. The netbook screen is much smaller, but that's keeping me from getting too detail-oriented, which is a good thing in the studio, where noodling can become habitual. I apologize for the hotspot in these images, I took them hastily to track my progress. I have a canvas backdrop behind my easel, blinded windows behind me offering south and west light (far from ideal), and I'm painting under two 100 lumens eco-bulbs balanced for daylight. This image is about an hour and a half into the piece.

After working on this later the same evening, I decided I wanted to check the layout against the frame, to see what would be cropped, and make sure I wasn't missing anything. At this point I've developed the trail, which will be a focal point, added color notes into the clouds, worked in some color highlights into the field to the right and started developing the values in the main tree. I also added some more distant clouds. This image is after another 3 hours of painting.

At this point you can see that I've further developed the trail, trying to add believable mass to the ground planes. I started to shape the field of tall grass to the right, added branches and leaves to the tree in the foreground, and started dropping in color notes and highlights in the foreground on the left to indicate the wild flowers there. I've added holes in the main tree for the sky, developed the area in shadow, working to find the right temperature and value to pull the eye there. This is after another three hours of painting. I also simplified the background, the far clouds were somewhat distracting. At this point I'm still undecided as to how to handle the foreground. There's a lot of detail in the tall grass, and trying to paint it all is a swift boat to madness. I call it a night and determine to look at it with fresh eyes in the morning.

This is the latest stage, after a late night of painting. After seeing the painting in the morning, under sunlight through the blinds, I decided that I needed to push the color more, it just wasn't singing without a direct spotlight (one of the hazards of painting under strong lights). Another three hours of painting here, and I'm almost done with it. At this point, everything is working well together, the temperatures and values are closer to what I intended, and I managed to resolve the foreground with some knife work. I'll put this aside for a day or so while I start the second piece tomorrow.

Update:

It looks like I'll only have enough time to finish one piece for this event. With the deadline landing on the same weekend as a trip to MN for an Inosanto Seminar, plus aa number of side jobs that have to get done asap, there's just not enough time. Here is the final piece, properly photographed. Fingers crossed, we'll see if the judges like it.

Wow, what an event. The event started on Friday, I got there just before 10am, got my panels stamped, then started walking around to scout out locations. It was HOT and humid - temps ran between 85-99 degrees Fahrenheit both days.

I was told there was a river on the other side of the tracks, but when I got there, it was all "No Trespassing" signs...no go. So I went back to the waterfront area and eventually happened upon a gravel trail that led to a clearing, obscured by trees on either side. It was going to be a challenge, many subtle layers of green, the light showing from the opening was actually more intense in chroma than the foreground trees, which made for some tricky color mixing. I actually wiped out most of this painting three different times, and quit it when I felt I was just wasting paint. OK, no big deal, the first painting is almost always a wash, something to settle my nerves and get into the swing of things. 4 and a half hours gone. I ended up turning this piece in, although there are parts of this that I didn't like. Got some compliments on it anyway.

After low blood sugar levels and near heatstroke, I had some food and water in an air conditioned restaurant (Brewers Two Cafe has amazing sandwiches), then headed for the pavilion where there was more shade. Unfortunately, the weather was beginning to turn. I set up to paint the lake with a large sky area, to capture some of the clouds that were rolling in. Unfortunately the wind started to pick up. We got notice that there were Tornado warnings in the area, and we were in the path of the storm. Further, it was a band of storms, and the weather was probably going to go sour. And it did. About an hour into this painting, the wind kicked up to around 60 mph. If it weren't for the help of Mike Neilson, I would have lost everything, but managed to get my stuff around the corner of the pavilion where it wasn't so bad. To give you an idea of how strong the winds were, one of the rented tents next to the pavilion ripped in half. It was bad.

I had only just gotten my panel into the panel carrier, but the wind had kicked sand and debris into the wet oil paint. Grrrrr. After the wind died down, I tried to salvage it but it was a lost cause, there was noticeable grit on it, no matter how I scraped it. So I wiped down yet another painting. In the process of restarting, I fell into a composition that I really liked. A group of dark ultramarine clouds were blowing through, the layers of clouds was pretty amazing, and the land masses were almost engulfed in fog. I managed to give the foreground a strong diagonal and dropped in a couple of areas of color, some raw sienna to compliment the cool ultramarine tints of the background and sky. It was cookin' and I knew I had a keeper. It ended up having a tonalist palette, as everything was so subdued. White, Ultramarine, Raw Sienna and some Blue Black.

Again, about 45 minutes into this piece, the wind started kicking up again. I wasn't going to let this one get ruined, so I packed up just (just) in time, before the winds hit their peak, this time MUCH stronger than the last. I got soaked. My hat blew across the street, my painting bag was doused and everything was wet. Fortunately, my panel carrier was pretty strong and well made (if I do say so myself). I decided that was enough for me for a day. I packed up and changed my shirt when there was a break in the weather, then headed home. More storms blew through that evening.

The next day I got there late. I was too amped up to sleep Friday night, and too tired to get moving early on Saturday. I started with a mile-long hike to the area (the street was blocked off for the festival and parking was wholly insufficient for the event). I set up immediately, knowing I had only about 5 hours total to wrap up two pieces. I touched up the storm piece and it turned out nicely, then turned that in early. Then I went back to the original spot with the opening between the trees, and tried the piece again with a horizontal format. I had only a hour and a half to do it, to safely have enough time to frame and turn in the second piece. This didn't go well. I tried to simplify things but ended up with a painting that will soon be wiped. Still not good at fast high-pressure painting.

Well, it seems the judges liked my work again. My storm painting took third place in the event. I was beat out by my good friends Jason Prigge, who took second, and Jenny Anderson, who took first. Mike Neilson and Bill Suys took an honorable mention. There were a few other awards given out as well, some artists with whom I was not familiar. We were treated to an amazing meal at the Artist Reception after the event closed. I believe there were less than 40 artists in the event. A few people sold artwork, I was not one of them. Oh well. In the end I got to spend some quality time with some talented, inspiring people.

Tomorrow I pick up my artwork from Oconomowoc, it doesn't look like anything sold from that event either. Very frustrating. I would have liked to have sold something this year. I did find out that there may be another event, at the end of September, in Plymouth, WI. Once more into the breech...at least the weather will be better.

This makes 75 separate paintings this year. The best painting of the year is yet to come, with the fall colors and the cooler weather. 100 paintings is easily in reach. The next I'll be working on are the 2 for the Rockford event, due early September.

In preparation for this weekend's plein air event in Pewaukee, I've been trekking down to the marina by Cupertino Park to do some research and work on this type of subject matter. I started this piece yesterday, but at the time I had only a couple of hours to paint. There is a rather wide concrete boat launch just north of the yacht club that is a common place for fishermen. As I was painting, I had no end of distractions, noisy fishermen, bicyclists passing by, a handful of rowdy kids catching and torturing little fish and their parents who kept shouting at them, some Vet who wanted to take my picture, and finally two airheads in a row boat who were determined to land their craft where I was set up. After an hour and a half, I called it a day.

This afternoon I managed to get back there, and although the light wasn't as overcast, I managed to resolve a lot of this piece. Another three hours work, three peaceful hours. 6" x 8" oil on panel. This is on the Raymar double primed canvas panel that I got as part of the Artist Package in the Wauwatosa event. It's not bad. I'm not a big fan of such a prominent weave, but I think maybe the linen ones might be more to my liking. The panels are very strong and very light weight. I think these would be great for taking on a trip. These would have to be bought in bulk however, as they are rather expensive.

I have created an online gallery through Fine Arts America. This will allow visitors to purchase prints of my work in a variety of sizes, framing options and paper/canvas selections. They are also relatively inexpensive. If you or anyone you know are interested, please forward this link: http://fineartamerica.com/customshop/anthony-sell.html

It seems the judges liked my work this time. My painting "A Quiet Day on Lake Fowler" took 2nd place in the 2010 Midsummer's Brush Garden Quick Paint event. This included a $100 prize. It's odd that the piece I had the least invested in did the best of the three that I submitted. More important than this prize, I met some interesting people and received some great comments about my work in general from artists whose opinions I respect. Looking forward to next year.

These were the two other paintings I did for the Oconomowoc event. This first one I did mid afternoon on Wednesday, after touching up my Masonic Center painting. This is from a vantage point that I've painted before, thought I'd give it another go. Sometimes it's useful to see a comparison, side by side. To see the one I did last year, click here. It's the third one down. Much improved, I'd say.

When I got back into town on Tuesday, after driving for 6 hours, I decided to set up on the back side of the Masonic Center. It was around 5:30pm when I set up, the traffic I ran into just outside of Hayward really slowed me down. I started into this with less consideration than the earlier piece I did on Friday the week before, ended up struggling with the drawing, as the light died. I decided I would come back to this on Wednesday evening, which I did. This is where I left it. It's a decent sketch, but I don't think I'll take it further, there are still too many problems with it.

After a rather promising start last Friday, then a hasty distracted painting before my trip to Cable, I returned on Tuesday, Wednesday and today to get in three more paintings. Camp was hot, temps were always around 85 degrees and humid, thank god I had an air conditioned room (RHIP). The past two days in Oconomowoc were painter hell, lots of blazing heat (temps in the 90's and today was 101 degrees), and lots of mosquitoes.

This is the piece I did on Saturday for the Quick Paint. We had a four-hour window to turn in a finished, framed piece. Quite frankly, I was more concerned with getting on the road for Cable as soon as possible, it was quite a distraction, but this turned out alright. This is 14" x 11" oil on panel. The view is of the peninsula garden at the church on Lake Fowler. It was one of several locations chosen this year for the Garden Quick Paint event. It was very popular. I had to omit several elements to get this composition, there were over hanging branches that just didn't sit right.

Although I posted this earlier, I went back on Wednesday morning to touch up certain areas that I felt were still unresolved. This is the final version, the frame did wonders for it. As I set up to work on this, I noticed that certain things were no longer there to paint, such as the railings on the building in the background. Apparently, while I was away at camp, there was a storm that came through Oconomowoc, strong winds knocked down a rather large tree which wiped out this structure. I'll post before and after shots later. 14" x 11" oil on panel.

Shortly after working on this piece, I went to a location I had painted from last year to try my hand at the lake again. This went alright. Then I went back to the Masonic Center to tackle a different perspective, looking up at it from the lake. I'll post the images of these paintings later. The problem I've found in Oconomowoc is that it sucks for parking. I swear that next year I'm going to be more portable. I have been looking at mountain bikes with a tail rack for saddle bags. If I can manage to get a bike rack for my truck, I'll be able to park somewhere and head out on two wheels to areas that would be otherwise logistically difficult. All I need is a new travel palette (something to make over the winter).

Today I went back for a last chance to paint. I was not looking forward to being out in the heat, it was pretty bad today. I didn't realize how bad it was until I turned in my stuff - truck said it was 101! After a good deal of driving around and scouting locations, I settled on a view of the tracks from the corner of an historic train shelter, known as The Milwaukee Road. I have to admit that I completely underestimated the force of the gust of wind created by a freight train. It was all I could do to hold my steel easel and secure my painting as this mile-long train slammed by. I was close enough to touch the train with my outstretched mahl stick (frikkin' awesome actually). The gusts knocked over my heavier Julian easel, spilling my turps and scattering my palette and brushes. Fortunately my palette closed itself as it landed (go figure), and like a proper boy scout, I had an extra can of Turpenoid in my truck.

Needless to say, the next time a train passed, I moved my easels away and held onto both of them. Shortly after this, railroad employee, driving one of those Ford F150's with the steel wheels drove by on the tracks. He stopped and backed up to warn me to be careful, that there would be other trains coming, including an Amtrack that would be going by at a faster clip in a couple of hours. I thanked him and busted ass to get done before then. Fortunately I was nearly done. Now I have to do some minor repairs on my poor folding easel...such a workhorse.

Tomorrow is the artist reception and awards announcement. This event is the last week-long event this year, the one Downtown was canceled. Damn, I hope I sell something. Curious to see who shows, there should be a lot of familiar faces there, rather looking forward to it. This last piece was number 70 for the year, btw. Fall is coming, and none too soon. The best painting of the year is to be seen in the next two months. I'll be glad for respite from the heat and bugs, and for the colors of fall. Bring it!

Every August, since 1996 (with one exception), I travel to the far side of the state for a Martial Arts training camp with my teacher and training partners from Minnesota. Invariably, life lies in wait, storing up every conceivable emergency, trial and tribulation for the week prior to this trip. In spite of my best efforts to be ready well in advance, this week is always stressful, with too many things needing to be done at the last minute.

After wrapping up three design projects, packing, running errands, and preparing for the competition that began today, I'm facing a ridiculous itinerary. Tomorrow I leave at 7 am to get gas, to drive to Oconomowoc, to paint for a 4-hour quick paint event, to leave straight away for Cable. When I get back on Tuesday, I get to stop in Oconomowoc to get a painting in, to return on Thursday and Friday to do more paintings. Friday at noon, I turn in my two paintings, then return the next day for the results. Saturday I teach and then, then, I get to mow the lawn.

But that all starts tomorrow. As for today...today was a good day.

After a few errands, I headed out to Oconomowoc to register for the Midsummer's Brush event. Immediately met a few of my friends in this community, people I've met this year and last. It's good to be recognized. Somehow, I knew exactly what I wanted to paint, and after the success I had with the painting downtown last weekend, I decided I was up to the challenge. On Lake Fowler, there is a Masonic Center, a large white building with a very unusual layout. Most of the buildings in this area are interesting, actually. I saw this building last year, but knew I wasn't up to the challenge. Architecture has always been a personal nemesis, the exacting angles required a steadier hand than I had at the time.

After talking with another friend who was painting in the area, I scouted out a few vantage points and decided on one of the front of the building. I was fortunate to have shade for most of the day, and polite passers-by. After starting, I knew I'd only get in one painting today, this one would take 5-6 hours to develop. But it was worth it.