Alla Prima Portrait: Arvel (Oil, 20 x 16)

This was really a quick sketch. It took only an hour and a half. Arvel was a resident at the Winkler Court Nursing Home. I believe I painted him before. He was very sedentary. I asked my friend Kirsten by E-mail yesterday if I could go there to paint someone. Kirsten said t it was better for me to go there in the afternoon instead of in the morning because she was on duty late today. So when I got there, Kirsten happened to be monitoring the Halloween party of the nursing home residents. Interestingly, those elderlies were like children and enjoyed the party time with candies and cake, music and costumes. When Kirsten saw me, she let a nurse push Arvel's wheelchair to the corner where I was standing. Therefore, right at their activity room, I set up in the corner while the whole crowd was still having the party with loud music and calling out names of the winners of the Halloween costume competition. It didn't bother me at all. I don't know it is good or bad, but when I am painting, I don't hear anything even in a rowdy environment. 

Oil Sketch: Sunday Picnic at the Local Veterans Park (Oil 11 x 14)

I felt my paint box was drying and I was thinking of switching to acrylic paint, but I also didn't want to waste the paint which was still fresh and soft. So I went to the Veterans Park this afternoon. The park was so thriving with life that the life-loving euphoria was contagious and soon made you feel high with the people's upbeat music, laughing, singing, dancing, and sports games. My sketch went really quick, about 45 minutes. Twenty minutes after I set up, they got up and started packing. There was nothing I could do but rush. It was really just a draft.

En Plein Air: A Cloudy Day (Oil 9 x 12)

I went to the Meloy Hay Company's fields this afternoon. It was cloudy and windy. Hay rolls were all over there. I simply drove into the field and picked a spot to paint.

Alla Prima: Francis (Oil 20 x 16)

It was VAC's Portrait Studio day. Today's model was Francis. It was my first time to paint her.

En Plein Air: Sweetwater Landing Boatyard (Oil, 9 c 12)

I went to the Sweetwater Landing Boatyard to paint this morning and met its owner Bradon Mayer. I requested that our Lee Plein Air Group would be allowed to paint there some Friday. Bradon was very gracious and allowed our group to paint there.

Oil Sketch: FGCU Student Darian (10 x 16)

It was a pure serendipity! I did a quick oil sketch this morning at the Harns Marsh. When I got home, it was only a little past 11 AM. I ate the lunch, took a nap, cleaned the brushes, and then I got online to browse the local open-air farmers' markets. As I mentioned before, recently I had a crave for painting figures in the sun. I remembered the Florida Gulf Coast University's farmers' market was usually scheduled on Tuesday. Maybe I missed the date of the message, but I was so surprised when I came across one which said, "Come to our farmers' market now. It runs 5 PM - 8 PM." What? It was only Monday! I didn't even double check it before I hopped into my car and drove to FGCU.

After I parked my car at the visitors' parking lot, I dragged the kit all the way to the Library lawn on which the farmers' market was usually held. To my surprise, the lawn was empty. There was no sign of any vegetable vendors. I only saw a girl nestling sidewise in a hammock tied to the trees with legs dangling from the edge of the hammock. She was working on her laptop. I asked her about the farmers' market. She said, as far she knew, they were scheduled for Tuesdays instead of Mondays. It was so disappointing. Nevertheless, I felt I had to get something done for such a trip, so I asked the girl for her permission to paint her. She was very nice and said she didn't mind at all. Her name was Darian, a criminology major.

The sun was setting quickly after I set up. The sketch took only an hour.

En Plein Air: the Harns Marsh in the Fall (Oil, 9 x 12)

There is no apparent drastic seasonal change in Florida in terms of the color of nature. However, if you pay attention, you may still notice some subtle differences. I went there this morning, around 8:13 AM when the sun shed its light at a sharp angle. I did it pretty quickly, only a little more than an hour. Out of all the paintings, I did about the Harns Marsh, this is the one to which I did the best justice  I think.

En Plein Air: Saturday Holiday Decorations Sale (Oil 11 x 14)

Originally, I planned to go to a farmers market  in Fort Myers to paint people in the sun. However, when I drove by the First Community Congregational Church, there were evidently quite a few activities at the parking lot. A band was blasting its music. A few booths were giving away free food. Of course, people kept coming and going for the pumpkins. I made a U-turn and pulled into the parking lot. Two ladies were sitting behind a booth with all kinds of holiday decorations. I set up on the sidewalk and began to paint.

En Plein Air: the Board Walk at the Wild Turkey Strand Preserve (Oil, 9 x 12)

I went there this morning with the Lee Plein Air Group. The newly paved trail made walking much easier. Since my legs would not allow me to walk too far, I simply painted the board walk there.

Alla Prima Portrait: Austin (Oil, 20 x 16)

It was Punta Gorda VAC Portrait Studio day today. Our model was a young man named Austin. It was the first time I painted Austin. 

Alla Prima Figure Sketch: Bob Hill (Oil, 20 x 16)

At lunchtime, I received Kirsten's response, telling me she had a resident ready for me to paint. Therefore, I went to Winkler Court Nursing Home right after lunch. My subject's name was Bob Hill. Bob was very cooperative, sitting there without even asking for a break. The sketch took not quite two hours. When Bob saw his painting, he was very excited and kept saying, "I can't believe it!" Apparently, he was happy about the painting. That made me happy.

Oil Sketch: Lifeguard Jessy (9 x 12)

I meant to paint at the Winkler Court Nursing Home this morning. Maybe because I E-mailed Kirsten, one of the directors there, too late last night, I didn't see her response this morning, Then I remembered Wednesday was my swimming day. Suddenly, I asked myself, "Why not go paint at the Community Swimming Pool?" Jessy was one of the lifeguards on duty. This was the first time I painted at the pool. I think I would do more.

En Plein Air: Roadside Scene (Oil, 9 x 12)

Last week when I was on my way back home from painting at the Owl Creek Boatyard, I saw this scene and I told myself that I would come back to paint it. It was a very common scene in this area of southwestern Florida. The country road was called N. River Rd and it ran along the Caloosahatchee on its northern side. There was a canal by the road. If you drive on this road, you would see cattle or horse farms one after another. You could also see the cow fences everywhere to mark the boundaries of the farms. One thing I liked the area was the big sky. When I finished the painting this morning, I noticed the autumn clouds in the sky. And you bet I would be back to paint the clouds there someday.

En Plein Air: Draw Bridge over the Caloosahatchee (Oil, 9 x 12)

En Plein Air: Shrimp Boats and A German Family on Fort Myers Beach

I went to the Main Street of Fort Myers Beach this morning with Lee Plein Air Group. The two shrimp boats' names were Pirates' Sons and Polly Doris. The latter I had painted before by itself. The group had lunch there together. I tried to make the most of the trip, so after lunch, I crossed the bridge and went right to the beach. I painted a German family sunbathing there. 

Sketch of Figures in Environment: Pumpkin Sale (Oil, 11 x 14)

I meant to paint at the Veteran Park this morning. When I was driving past the First Community Congregational Church, I  saw they were holding the annual pumpkin Sale with the tent propped up and a great number of pumpkins and guards lined up on the grass in various sizes. The scene reminded me that I had promised myself to paint them one of these days even though I didn't know what exactly I was going to paint. Usually, I was not really too crazy about the Halloween. However, I was always happy to see the pumpkin sale. Therefore, I simply made a felt turn and pulled into the parking lot. The lady there recognized me because I painted there before. I asked her, whose name was Ada, for her permission to paint her. She said it was OK so long as I would not be in her way for business. Fortunately (I mean to me), it was a slow morning and she didn't have to leave the table to take care of business. I was not sure whether it had been scheduled or because it was a slow morning, anyway, Ada and other three people decided to hold a Bible Study, which gave me time to paint them.

En Plein Air: No Trespassing (Oil, 10 x 16)

En Plein Air: Painting the Hull (Oil, 9 x 12)

What a great day this morning! It was not hot or humid. I was thinking of painting figures in the environment, so I decided to go to the Owl Creek Boatyard and try my luck there. It seemed they had very good business. There were quite a number of boats lifted from the ground to be fixed. I saw Cow Boy was working on a boat named Andrea Clair. He was on and off painting the bilge of the hull. When he was painting, he went back and forth between the two side. Therefore, I had to be very flexible. Whenever he was not on the side where I was painting, I switched to paint the boat and background and would not resume painting him till he was back. This is the second time I painted him. His co-workers joked him around saying he became famous.

En Plein Air: The Captain J (Oil, 9 x 12)

 I went to Downtown Fort Myers this morning. As always, there were many boats docked at the boat club Yacht Basin. Somehow on the wall of its building, I noticed the name Allure. Maybe the club's ownership has changed hands, I don't know. The Captain J, a wheelboat, was always docked next to the building.  wheelboats always fascinate me and reminds me of Mark Twain's time. 

Interior Painting: My Favorite Nook (Oil, 9 x 12)

I didn't go out to paint today because of the warning about Hurrican Matthew, so in the evening I painted the favorite nook in my house, that is, the lazyboy chair by the window of my studio. In fact, it is my reading chair and daybed. I have a massage seat cover on it so that it could also ease my back pain when I sit or lie down in it. From my early years, I feel comfortable reading only with the light coming from my left-hand side.

Alla Prima Portrait: Red-Headed Kyle (Oil, 20 x 16)

It was VAC's Portrait Studio Day today. The model was Kyle. He was red-headed. It was the first time I painted Kyle. I also uploaded below the two sketches I did yesterday at the Edison Mall when I was running an errand there.

Interior Painting: The Living Room (Oil, 9 x 12)

This is part of my recent crave for interior painting. For one thing, I want to challenge myself because I have not painted much of indoors scenes so far. There is something I need to learn how to handle. The second reason is the fact that it is still humid outside in Florida. Besides, I have a dentist's appointment this afternoon and I am pressed for time. That is why I decided to paint the living room.

It seemed to be a slow day for the dentist. When I got to her office, there were no other patients waiting. Therefore, i drew the parking lot through the glass door from inside.

En Plein Air: Harns Marsh (Oil, 9 x 12)

En Plein Air: Two Trees by the Canal (Oil, 12 x 12)