Monday, April 14, 2014

Little Sarasota Bay

Little Sarasota Bay, 6x6" oil on canvas, ©Diane Mannion


Watercolor Warm-ups

Painted with a lot of artists and friends from the VAC Punta Gorda Plein Air Painters today at the Bay Preserve in Osprey.  Flattered so many saw my solo show in the mansion and thankful that Suzanne ran up and down the stairs to let everyone in.
Eileen watching me paint.
Photo of myself as a living billboard!
Eileen's gorgeous oil on left, and my watercolor, and oil block in.
 (photos courtesy of Sharon Yarbrough, Fearless leader of VAC Plein Air Group)

Magic happens when artists line up their paintings and compare notes afterwards.  Compliments and tips are plentiful.  These mini-crits are a way of learning and growing.  Looking forward to painting with this group again.

Instead of my usual black and white thumbnail drawings before starting an oil... I've been doing watercolor sketches.  First sketched lightly with a sienna watercolor pencil which blended in when painted over.  Here's this morning's warm-up:
Little Sarasota Bay, 6x6" wc on hotpress paper, ©Diane Mannion

Please visit my show, 9-4 Mon-Fri, ring bell at mansion.

2 comments:

Wendy Barrett said...

Have just been catching up on your blog Diane. Love all your wonderful work and also your great tips and insights in to how to be a better painter. You will be pleased to hear that I did my first plein air painting for many, many a year!

Diane Mannion said...

Good to hear from you, Wendy. Keep up the plein air painting! It will help all the other work you do. Hope you post it on your blog. I'll go over and check it out.