Afternoon Tea

Afternoon Tea

11x14"

Oil on Linen Panel

Received an Honorable Mention at

Plein Air Ventura Invitational 2015
DPW

This painting was actually really enjoyable!  First off, I felt lucky to stumble onto a scene that had both atmosphere and a back lit classical car, and the opportunity to paint the view with a high horizon line!!!  Some of my favorite things!  I was a happy camper!!!   I also simplified more than usual - The fast changing light helped me with that:))
The car is owned by a really nice couple who is selling their house and they were both so sweet to offer me a cup of tea!  Did I mention he was British?...
The honorable mention was nice and you could say it sort of makes up for the fact that this piece didn't even get juried in to  the Ventura County Fair's Art Show....

This all confirms for me that it's more important to focus on how I feel about a piece and enjoy the ones where I attempt something new, than pay a lot of attention to the subjective likes and dislikes of jurors - either good or bad!

Which pieces do you feel good about when it comes to your own work?

Summerland Roofs

Summerland Roofs

8x10"

Oil on linen on board

DPW

I painted this one up in Summerland a few months back with my friend Shannon Celia (you can check out her great Seascapes on her website) There's a lot of pretty homes and buildings in that area, but this day I zeroed in on something that looked a little more like a shack.  I always look for subjects with a little character and wanted to explore cropping in on these buildings with the way they were intersecting and I liked the dramatic shadows the sun created.

Here's a painting on the area where we were standing to paint.

 Shade for Lunch

6x8"

Oil on Linen on Board
DPW

SOLD

It was right by the freeway off ramp, but with some shade it still made for an enjoyable paint out. 
What's the most difficult thing you deal with if you paint outdoors?