Some Wauwatosa Garden Tour pictures

I participated in The Suburban Woman's Club of Wauwatosa Garden Tour: "A June Jaunt in Ravenswood Gardens." Walking tour of six gardens near 87th and 88th streets off Blue Mound Road. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 29. Tickets were $10 or buy three, one free; $10 day of tour. Benefits local community service projects and teachers' scholarships.

It was definitely a nice place to paint and for a good cause too! I got there a little early and met up with Al from the Milwaukee Sketch Club, http://milwaukeesketchclub.blogspot.com/.   We walked through the Gardens. I got to say "Hi" to Wendy Thompson of WIPAPA, http://www.wipapa.blogspot.com/ . That's a good group too. Then Donna arrived and we started to walk around the gardens. We ran into Fred Bell http://fredbellpaintings.blogspot.com/ and Judith Reidy http://www.judithreidy.com/ . Judith was wearing a special panting overall with lots of pockets. I thought she said she got it indirectly from Jerry's Artarama but I just looked online and didn't see it on there. Finally Donna & I chose our painting spot. Al and Amy decided to paint there too. People were extremely nice there and interested in what we were painting. The day started out really cloudy and looked like it was going to rain. However by the time I left the sun was out giving interesting sun and shade patterns which of course kept moving.

I started out painting a really interesting house using titanium white, ultramarine blue, hansa yellow opaque, and burnt sienna for my red. (I like to challenge myself and use a limited palette.) I liked the triangle shaped lawn patch which led your eye up the right side of the house, then the peak led your eye back down in a circular eye pattern. I took out a big tree in front of the door because it disrupted the eye pattern. Also eliminated off white, sided addition.

7x5 acrylic on canvas

Donna left and Al went to visit around. Amy was still painting but I was basically done so decided to go to a peaceful garden that I saw earlier. I really liked the way the sun hit the leaves of the circular Ligularia (leapard's bane, rocket) and Cimifuga now called Actaea (snakeroot, bugbane). I had to break out the Alizarin crimson to paint the Actaea. The owner had a neat gate there too but I was painting to small to put it in. The owner told me that I painted his favorite view. Then he asked me if I was the one using my hands to find a view to paint earlier. Guilty! My hands are my favorite view finders. You can tell this was painted later in the day. With all this wet weather the colors of the green vegetation are still very intense.

 

 

6x8 acrylic on canvas

We got to wear a neat button too!

Waukesha Riverwalk bridge closeup, 7x5 acrylic, 6/27/13

I got there early before my friends, Donna and Vivien, arrived. John's painting at the fish hatchery this month. Walked around and took some pictures. River very high and dirty, stairs have been taped off with yellow and black safety tape. Water was over the river banks along the riverwalk in most places and coming up the steps. Rolling brown flood waters rushing very strong. Met up with Viv, we both looked around and chose an area to paint. Then we went back to our cars and got our equipment. There is now 3 hour parking on the south side of the river and a police woman was marking tires! No public bathrooms yet but can always buy a cup of tea at the Steaming Cup. I like their food too.

I had a picture in my mind and started blocking in the main shapes abstractly with large areas of general color. Used titanium white, ultramarine blue, hansa yellow opaque, and raw sienna as my red. Mixed my golden open acrylics with Behr Faux Glaze medium to slow down the dry as it was windy and warm even though we were under a shady tree. Need to bring damp paper towels for my palette. Summer is finally here and the acrylic paint it drying quicker. Green inchworms were dropping onto Vivien's palette from tree but none dropped on mine. Other than that, no bugs. However, if we were down at the river we probably would have gotten bitten by no-see-ums as they are out after all the rain. Quite a few people walked by, friendly and nice.

Waukesha's riverwalk and downtown area is one of my favorite places to paint as it has interesting buildings juxtaposed with park vegetation.

Birdbath in Ilene's Garden

Tuesday night we painted in Ilene's garden. She has beautiful garden. I was going to work on this painting some more but my husband likes it the way it is. Camera battery ran out so waiting for a friend to send me some pictures anyway.

Two Thursday's ago added some detail to Joan D'Arc painting. Not sure if I will get to St. John's tonight or not. Kind of booked today.

I am reading
Capturing Light in Acrylics by John Hammond (isbn: 07134 8863 8) and
The Art of Urban Sketching by Bagriel Campanario (isbn: 978-1-59253-725-9)

Horn Feeds Mill, pastel 9x12 canson mis teints

I just realized that I missed posting this. Went painting with my buddies, John and Donna from Milwaukee Sketch Club http://milwaukeesketchclub.blogspot.com/2013/06/milwaukee-sketch-club-at-horn-feeds.html

It was a great day. I sat on the grass with my paper taped to my board. John and Donna sat in front of their easels. John a special vented umbrella to shade his paper but by the end of the morning, the wind had picked up so he had to put it down so it wouldn't tip over his easel. He mainly works in watercolor and Donna works in oils.

I didn't have the right shades of pastel greens for painting today. I was looking for more clean yellow green tones.

Tomorrow I'm meeting up with Vivian at the Elegant Farmer in Mukwonago. Hope the weather cooperates. It's quite chilly and wet even though it is June. Good grass growing weather.

Currently I am reading "Expressive Oil Painting; an Open Air-Approach to Creative Landscapes" by George Allen Durkee, isbn: 978-1-60061-151-3

6/6/13 Thursday morning plein air canceled due to rain. That's OK. Tonight I plan on reworking my Joan D'Arc painting at St. Johns.

Joan D'Arc Chapel, Marquette University

acrylic sketch, 8x6 canvas, titanium bhite, burnt sienna, hansa yellow opaque, paynes gray.

Used my guerilla box without tripod. I just sat on the sun warmed stones. Al teased me that I wouldn't be able to get up but I'm used to sitting on the ground.

Early Tuesday evening I met up to paint with some friends (Al, Bonnie, Roger, Kathy, and Amy)from Milwaukee Sketch Club. http://milwaukeesketchclub.blogspot.com/2013/06/milwaukee-sketch-club-at-marquettes.html
 
Clouds rolled in, sky was gray, and temperature dropped to 57F. Paint wasn't drying either.