Sunday, September 26, 2010

Harrisburg Skyline I, oil, 6 x 8 inches

Though the politics in the city of Harrisburg are in upheavel, the beauty of a city skyline remains intact. We painted from the West Fairview boat launch over the past two weeks and this is the little piece I finished. I've been wanting to do the skyline for a while. Almost miraculously, we saw a majestic golden eagle riding the wind above us the first day. They are not normally seen in these parts - but it must have been travelling through. What a wingspan! Scripture tells us that, "they who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up on wings as eagles." If only the city would take a lesson from that eagle soaring over it -- to wait on the Lord and allow Him to move among the decision-making. That's what I was thinking while painting.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Where Have I Been?

Amity Hall Boat Launch
Oil on canvas board
9 x 12 inches
I now belong to three blogs and have inadvertantly "forgotten" to post to my own. The Daily Painters of Pennsylvania and The Susquehanna Valley Plein Air Painters both have blogs now and are starting to exhibit as groups around Central Pa. It's been wonderful meeting other artists and posting our work together. So, I did fall behind on posting to this blog. I'm making an effort now to come back and continue this blog because this is also a journal of my art journey and I feel it necessary to express myself in writing as well as on canvas.
Last week we painted in Amity Hall at the boat launch. It was a brisk, windy day - exhillerating compared to the heat of this past summer. We saw a bald eagle flying above and two great blue herons soaring over the waters. I completed this piece on site - maybe a few touch-ups are required but it is mostly finished. The light was changing every minute due to the thick, fast moving clouds. But every now and then the sun would shine and hit the trees and plants - which is what I tried to capture very quickly here. I'm pleased with this piece - it's loose with almost a watercolor feel. It says what I hoped to say.