I participated in a wonderful art event the past weekend in Rosebud, Alberta.  Rosebud is a little hamlet that is almost totally dedicated to the arts.  We’ve visited Rosebud many times to go the theatre but this is the first time I have actually stayed there, if just for a weekend.  It felt great to be a temporary resident of Rosebud.  I even participated in the drum circle and got to perform a couple of songs.  I camped there and the sense of peace and quiet especially at night was wonderful.

Anyway, this is one painting I did.  It’s based on my plein air study.  It’s a view from the top of the valley looking down on Rosebud.  I been drawn to this view for a number of years but I was never sure how to paint it.  This style is something completely new for me which makes this painting super exciting.

 

This next image is a view of the ‘downtown’.  Again I’ve looked at this scene many times and it never really spoke to me.  This time I had a bit of time to kill and I wanted to try something so I just started with a little pencil sketch and all of a sudden I thought there was some potential.  This really showed me that anything can be turned into a good subject. It’s all about the eye of the beholder.  So don’t keep looking for the perfect scene.  Work with what you have and turn that into a great painting.  This is a plein air study.  

 

It was a great time and many thanks to all the organizers who made me  and all the other participating artists feel so welcome.