Sarasota Workshop - Day 5

Our final workshop day started off cool and partly cloudy. We headed out again to Myakka River State Park to paint more live oaks, Spanish moss and cabbage palms. Our first stop was a quiet part of the river. Here, the live oaks hung over the river creating a dark bower; Spanish moss lay draped over every limb and added to the mystery. This proved a challenge, because the sun vanished as soon as we had completed our underpaintings, reducing the value contrast substantially and making for a rather dull and complex scene. We all struggled to resolve our paintings.

After lunch at the park's concession stand - the seafood gumbo was excellent! - we headed out to the Ranch Road. Along with the clouds came a strong wind, and after days of near-80 degrees, it felt downright chilly. The Ranch Road was protected by palms and live oaks.

As my final painting for the workshop, I did the little 5x7 below. For this one, I mixed a little bit of white into each of my color mixtures. You'll want to read Day 4 plus the comments for a discussion of why I wanted to try this. I think this piece came off pretty successfully.

"Live Oaks & Palm" 5x7, oil

As with all workshops, it's sad that this one has come to an end. Trina and I will soon continue our drive west to Sedona. We hope to see some of you there! Check out www.PaintSedona.com for more information on my mentoring workshops.