It is just 50 seconds from the time I open my trunk to remove my painting gear to the first mark on the canvas. With the first snow fall and 25 degree weather I needed to streamline my painting approach for outside painting. Judy and I went to Arrowhead Lake yesterday. Here is my winter set up and the painting in progress. I will be doing a lot of 5 x 7 oil paintings under these conditions.

It was a gray day so I didn't need an umbrella. Thankfully it was not windy and my hand warmers worked. Note, a key principle to this approach is that I am very close to the car. Occasionally, I get in and crank up the heater. Here is Judy painting off her tail gate.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

My pastel painting, "Fall Festival" won an honorable mention at the LaGrange Art League. This was a demonstration at the Center's Fall Festival in Palos Park.

Judy and I have also been to another Cook County Forest Preserve Nature Center, Sand Ridge. This is a different type of center with several log cabins, and sheds. We also returned to Turtlehead Lake for a beautiful fall scene. The wind was quite challenging that day but it was sunny and the colors were beautiful.

I had the opportunity to attend an Ann Feldman workshop on palette knife painting in oil. I learned more about technique but also another perspective on color mixing. This first painting I did after Ann demonstrated. She only used a palette knife to do a small painting using a photo of a mountain scene for a reference. I call it Purple Mountains Majesty, an 10 x 8 in. oil. The second painting is one that I did in the afternoon from a still life that Ann set up. It is also an 10 x 8 in. oil. Both were painted only using a palette knife.

This is the direction I am going in my oil paintings so this was a timely workshop for me. Thank you Ann! If you want to see photos of the forest preserves, the paintings en plein air  and of the workshop, go to my web page at www.facebook.com/FlanaganFineArt. Remember, do something creative every day!