Sarasota Plein Air Workshop - Day 4

"Park Model" 5x7, oil

The weather can turn fast here in the Gulf. We went to bed last night under a tornado watch. About one in the morning, an explosion of thunder woke us up, and then the rain pummelled down. By dawn, the rain had stopped and a patch of blue sky appeared. Still, the forecast was for showers, so we decided to paint close to home - just in case.

Painting close to home meant painting in the Sun'n'Fun resort, where the workshop is based. Sun'n'Fun is a large, exclusive gated community that's old enough to still sport a few of the older "park models" among the newer ones. I don't like the new ones as much, because they are free of the mossy green that seems to coat everything in this subtropical environment. The older ones show their years, and often have mature gardens around them - they look a great deal like the "Old Florida." They make great painting material. When the old ones get sold, they are often hauled out and replaced with new models.

I decided to paint a study of one. It didn't have the mature garden, but it does have a classic look. For this kind of painting, a broad brush stroke is necessary. A brush stroke accurately placed would be like levelling the floors in a 200-year-old Cape - it ruins the charm. (You still want to get the value and temperature relationships right, though.)