Wednesday, August 18, 2010

back to oils


I had a long run with acrylics and found some great advantages with the dry time of the paint and the ability to do washes and layers. Recently I just ordered over 100 tubes of some really good Grumbacher pre-tested oils to divert away from acrylic and go back to my roots in the oil paint world. I just finished a portrait which was the first oil painting I've done in about 3 years. Now that I have worked with the oils again I don't think I'll go back to acrylics.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Erie County Fair Plein Air painting contest


Thanks to all that came to visit me while I was painting at the Erie County Fair in the Plein Air contest. I had between the hours 11-4 to paint something on the fair grounds. I was going to paint the midway, but thought there may be too many people painting in that area, so I painted the cows. I really never painted cows before so I thought this would be a nice change. I made some nice farmer friends and got to learn a little bit about the behind the scenes of farming. It was way too hot of a day and even a few of the painters dropped out. I battled through the heat and finished a pretty decent cow painting. After all was said and done I placed 3rd which was fine I guess. The painting will be displayed in the creative arts building till the fair ends.