Grand Marais Minnesota
Art Colony Plein Air Competition
September 2015
I was honored to have been juried in to the annual Grand Marais Art Colony Plein Air Competition this fall. For 8 days all I did was paint, eat, paint some more, and sleep. The weather was perfect, and of course the scenery on the North Shore is impossible to top! Here are some of my paintings. They are on display at the Johnson Heritage Post in Grand Marais, MN through November 15th.
Falls at Cascade River
Oil, 14x11"
I carted my painting stuff up rugged steps, over rough terrain, and finally set up my easel on one of the bridges overlooking the falls. While I was painting, a man and his wife stopped to talk to me. He (jokingly) told me he had seen my umbrella from far away and thought I was selling ice cream!
Quick Paint at Artist's Point (90 minute timed competition)
Oil, 9.5x9 inches
We had thunderstorms the morning of the scheduled Quick Paint, but the heavy rain held off during the event. It was misty and drizzled a bit but I stayed dry under my umbrella in my rain gear. And yes, this was painted in 90 minutes, start to finish.
Gunflint Tavern (Nocturne Paint)
Oil, 14x11 inches
The street lights near me kept going on and off, alternating one after the other about every three minutes the entire time I painted this scene, so of course the light kept changing back and forth, on and off. But the tavern had live music and it was wonderful to listen to while I painted.
Lighthouse at Artist's Point
Oil, 8x8 inches
Beautiful sky, rocks and trees, water, and this great little lighthouse. A painter's dream.
Little Airstream
Oil, 9x12 inches
I found this little camper while wandering through the campground along Lake Superior. It belongs to some Snowbirds who I was told live in it all summer, then go someplace tropical for the winter. The campground is really a big retirement community, and the neighbors were all friendly and interested in what I was painting. One of the neighbors even brought me a huge piece of fresh-caught smoked trout! What a treat!
Berglund's Dairy Farm
Oil, 11x14 inches
This dairy farm is located up in the hills overlooking Lake Superior. There is beautiful scenery every direction you look. Cows, hay bales, chickens, even pigs. The young girl that lives at the farm introduced me to a cow named Carol. We purchased pork chops and pork sausage from the owners and had a good home-cooked meal at our little rented cabin.
