Playing with water color

This is my first attempt at watercolor.  When I studied with Nicora Gangi, a master pastelist in still life, she introduced me to pastel by having me copy the masters.  Those lessons with Nicora opened my heart to my favorite French Impressionists and the medium of pastel. So with no watercolor training, and a beautiful box of Schminke Pan Water colors and a Moleskin water color journal, I decided to copy Winslow Homer's Gloucester Harbor watercolor (1873).

Amish Farms in Berlin, Ohio

Captured on a "Blue Sky Day," as my mother would say...Soft Pastel on Wallis paper with a watercolor under painting.  I love Amish Country.

Little Italy...finished

Little Italy, Cleveland OH...Started  plein air with a group from The Art Studio under the direction of Susie Porges. Soft pastel on Wallis paper.  

Plein air painting in Little Italy

A beautiful summer afternoon in Little Italy by Presti's bakery.  People walked by our easels and you could hear them say, "I feel like I'm in France."

My Plein Air palette, in my new Heilman Box.  The most wonderful box...worth every penny.

Chagrin Falls, Ohio

This is my first Plein Air painting...at least it started plein air.  I finished it in the studio.  I went with a class from The Art Studio under the direction of Susie Porges.  This church was on a corner in the center of the charming town of Chagrin Falls, Ohio.

Stormy Skies

I love red barns.  This is another red barn in Medina County,   caught on a rainy day.  Pastel on peach colored Canson MI Teintes paper.

10 minute painting exercises

I'm still collecting plein air equipment.  I have the box, but sent back an easel that came damaged.  Trying to figure out what I want to do.  These pictures are from our perennial gardens last year.  Soon they will be in full bloom again and I can paint from them outside.  I'm challenging myself to do some 10 minute studies...but I confess, these both took from 20-30 minutes each. 

Add caption