The Magnolia Tree

    Tuesday marked the first day for my spring plein air fling. I went back to a favorite painting spot to try to improve upon last year's attempt (and the year before that). The magnolia tree is beautiful in all it's glory for a short time...usually about a week. I love this short quote by William Shakesphere: "Rough winds to shake the darling buds of May...". I am happy to report that this was a mild and warm week here in west Michigan, so the blossoms stayed on the tree and the plum trees are in their prime.

   This post includes pictures of the painting spot and progress pictures. Just as I started to paint, a flat-bed truck slowly went by me with honey bee boxes that the orchard farmer had rented. The bees did not bother me until I was trying to open my car to put my painting gear away. Several bees did not like me so much, there was a lot of buzzing about, bees in my hair, bees in my car, etc. I must have looked like a crazy woman trying to flee. Oh, the perils of plein air painting!

The subject

Starting with a light wash of transparent oxide brown.

A notan wash to lay in the masses.

Color block-in

A more developed tree...

The Magnolia Tree, oil on linen panel, 9x12

Stay tuned for the next day's painting spot....

March Plein Air

Spring Reflections, 14x11, oil on linen panel

Willow in Spring, 8x6, oil on linen panel

Both of these small paintings were painted on March 10, at the Meader Conservation Easement in Parchment of Kalamazoo Co. The Plein Air Artists of West Michigan organized this event and a number of artists showed up to paint. After getting a little lost trying to find this place, it did not take me long to figure out what to paint when I arrived. It was interesting to find so much color in early March. Also the unseasonably warm weather and sunshine was a bonus that day.