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| Winners of the OPAS Annual Member's Exhibition |
As you read in my recent newletter, Trina and I just completed our journey from Campobello Island to New Mexico. Along the way, I judged the Ohio Plein Air Society's annual members' competition in Cincinnati, taught a workshop for the same group, and then taught a second workshop for the Central Ohio Plein Air Society in Columbus. The OPAS competition really tested the mettle of the painters, as Ohio was in the middle of a period of record-breaking temperatures. It felt more like August, what with the humidity and heat. I applaud the painters for their endurance and for turning out so many wonderful paintings. There were so many good paintings, in fact, that my job as judge proved particularly difficult—yet immensely enjoyable.
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| Pre-Judging Potluck for OPAS |
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| OPAS paintings ready to be judged |
The heat didn't let up, but continued through both workshops. Fortunately, the locations offered air-conditioned studios to retreat to. The theme for the OPAS workshop was "Outdoor Study to Studio," so after gathering reference material in the mornings, we headed for the studio (at the Woman's Art Club of Cincinnati in Mariemont) to assemble our material and create finished paintings. Thank you to Ray Hassard and Robin Roberts for organizing both the competition and the workshop. The COPAS workshop was an all-level all-outdoors workshop, but the studio (at the Stratford Ecological Center in Delaware) served as a welcome place for talking about art matters and critiques. Thank you to Nancy Vance for organizing this one. In both cases, it was a treat meeting the students and helping them toward a better, more satisfying practice.
By the way, I am looking to schedule a workshop for my annual travel west for the fall of 2019. If you are a member of a plein air painting group between New Mexico and Maine (our fall travel route) and would like me to hold a workshop in late September or early October, please contact me.
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Reference material set up for OPAS "Outdoor Study to Studio" workshop
with finished painting on right |
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| Gathering more reference material for OPAS workshop |
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| Painting in Mariemont |
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| Sunflowers were a big hit at the COPAS workshop in Columbus... |
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| ...and so were the llamas! |
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| My 12x9 tree demonstration in oil for COPAS (sold) |
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| Seeking relief from the heat in Columbus |
