Thursday, May 1, 2014

Paw Cat

Paw Cat, 8x10" oil, plein air, ©Diane Mannion

Too Many Choices

Was heading out to paint in Sarasota this morning, but stopped by to see what the Englewood Plein Air Painters were up to.  Instead of painting with the Light Chasers in the Ringling rose garden, I ended up painting a trailer park.  Too many choices!

There were too many interesting (at least to me) things to paint this morning.  Wish I would pick an easier subject!  The sky and clouds were great, the trailers, the boats, oh my.  Too many choices so I painted everything.

This is the view by the Royal Palm Marina where Paw Cat was docked.   Poor old sailboat covered with barnacles and mold, portholes cracked and open... sad sight.  Even though it was an ugly, tubby looking thing, I liked the blue stripe and the way the morning light reflected off its miserable, ready to sink hulk.

Was also attracted to the vintage trailer park, the boxy shapes and patterns and how the light reflected off their dented, rusty metal bodies.  Both subjects, boat and trailers related to each other by reflecting another time.  I felt a simple joy recording their continued survival in paint.

Spent far too long on this painting and I have sunburn to prove it.  Treated myself to lunch at Zekes with the gregarious Englewood painters. 

2 comments:

Susan Rose said...

You made a good choice. Nature is NICE, but manmade stuff is good for a change. You've captured a unique portion of old Florida. It looks quite charming, but I'll bet some of the residents are struggling. At least they get to live in Florida while doing so...where warm weather and free fish abound. (As a child, I had my fair share of speared mullet from a brackish creek.)

Diane Mannion said...

Susan Rose,
Yes, it's an old part of Florida that has managed, so far, to ward off new building. And I know residents in much fancier areas that are struggling also. Mullet is the only fish I can not eat! Tastes like mud. Thanks for your comment.