Alfalfa and Corn, 11x14"

Alfalfa and Corn, pastel on paper by Adriana Meiss

Last Tuesday afternoon I went painting with my friend Marybeth to Otisco.  This is one of my favorite areas to paint and photograph. The variety of crops and the hilliness of the terrain add so much color and interest to the landscape that everywhere one looks there is a nice scene ready to be painted.

We found a field on Bailey Rd. and after being granted permission to park in the property by the owner's son, who was about to start mowing the alfalfa field nearby, we wasted no time exploring and setting up. We knew we had two hours at most before the daylight faded. This view attracted me right away because of the good feeling of distance and because it offered the opportunity to deal with orange foliage.  I have always found oranges to be very difficult as those colors can overwhelm a painting if used in large areas.

I used a black sheet of Richeson Premium Pastel Paper because it was the only surface I had in the size I wanted, and was surprised by how much I enjoyed working on it. The surface feels more like fibers rather than grit, but it's definitely coarse as you might be able to appreciate below.

Using Richeson pastel paper.

Seneca Plain Air Painting Festival, Geneva, NY

Five O'clock Cows, 8x10" pastel on board, 2nd Place Award

I'm very happy to say that I came back home with two awards from this event!
I was very lucky in so many ways. A woman I had met at a workshop I taught last June offered to host me and that made the experience even better. Thank you Bernadette!
Just to warn you, the images were not taken under the best conditions which is something I will need to address fnext time.

DAY 1:
Knowing that one should always be ready to paint a good scene no matter what time of day it is, I had my boards stamped the day before, during the orientation.
The first morning of the event I set up my alarm for 6:00 AM. I wanted to go to the farmers market but decided instead to capture the sunrise from behind the place where I was staying . I knew I would struggle with the bottom part of this painting because of the moving cars, so I ended up not framing it.

Geneva Sunrise, 9x12" pastel on board

Just when I was about to put my things away I saw a delivery truck that would have blocked my way had I decided to drive somewhere. "Should I paint it?" I thought. I have never painted trucks before and normally is something that does not appeal to me. But what's the point of painting if one doesn't find some sort of challenge in it?  I waited to see for any indication that it was going to stay for a while and seeing a man pulling forward several boxes from the back, I started planning my strategy. First, was finding the right placement for the truck, making sure I did not have any important lines escaping at the corners. Then I had to establish the truck's boundaries in case it would leave. I took several photos just in case. Fortunately for me the truck stayed half an hour or so and afterwards I felt more relaxed to deal with the background.

Delivery Truck, 10x8, pastel on board

 After lunch I took Rt.14 S in search of farmland or a lake view to paint. I found my scene on Reed Rd. under a nice shade and enough space to park by the roadside.

A Bend on Reed Rd, 9x12", pastel on board

 Afterwards, I continued scouting the area and a few minutes later found my next scene at a Menonite Farm. What attracted me first to this scene was a tree in the very distance and the yellow light. The cows could be a problem, but again, I had to try. First, I asked for permission to park in the driveway and getting it I proceeded to paint. Towards the end, the setting sun was casting beautiful orange light on the cows. I stopped painting to take photos, but in my head I remembered instructors saying that the important thing when capturing animals while painting outdoors is their gesture, so I gave it a try thinking that back at home I could fix anything I did not like. That is the painting on top. Before leaving I thanked the young woman for letting me paint there, she asked me to show her my painting. We had a short conversation in which she told me she painted on saw blades. I also ended buying fresh eggs!

DAY 2
I wanted to paint vineyards on the west side of the lake. I found a nice lake view from Travis Rd. Bernadette, my hostess, who had come along to paint, spotted a scarecrow. We asked for permission to paint under the shade of trees, which not only was granted but we were also allowed to park on the owner's driveway (Thank you Peggy L!).
There was early morning haze which I new would dissipate soon, so I worked on it first. Midway I realized I had not recorded the foreground colors of the vines, a mistake that got me into a little trouble later on. By the time I was almost finished the bright yellows I had on the foreground vines did not seem to agree with the haze of the middle ground so I had to replace the yellows with more subdued greens.  The wind blew my painting away while I was putting things back in the van, but I repaired the damage right away. Lesson learned.

On Duty, 11x14" pastel on board

  Because it was getting much windier, I felt I had to be careful with my next location. I went along Rt 14 and on Hansen Point Rd I found a house with a barn on top of a hill. There was no sheltered place to paint from so I parked by the side of the road and opened the hatch hoping it would offer some protection from the sun and wind. I had my umbrella with me but it would have been blown away. So I applied on a lot of sunblock and started to paint. The point I'm trying to make is that no matter what your plans are, when you see your "scene" you just figure how to make it happen.
I liked the hilliness of the terrain, the textures, and the soy field at the bottom, but it was the barn that I liked the most, which somehow looked so lonely withstanding the wind. There was a house in between the barn and the white (blue here) shed, but it had to go.

Farm on a Hill, 12x9", pastel on board  

Right after, I headed to the yacht club but nothing inspired me there, besides, I was afraid of the possibility of tree branches falling on me while painting, as I had seen several on the road. I continued along East Lake Rd and saw gorgeous scenery. At this time, the late sun was casting orange tones on the opposite side of the lake and the dark blue clouds made a nice contrast with the yellow fields, but there weren't that many places to paint by the roadside. Turning back I spotted a farm with a shed and some horses. I decided to try my hand at painting with oils. It went bad from the get go so it will have to be finished in my class. I wish I had painted a pastel instead!

DAY 3: Paintout

The rain woke me up. I wondered if the paintout at  Pulteney Park would be cancelled because of it, but on approaching the park I noticed several tents for registration and for anyone who needed to paint under one. I went around looking for a subject to paint from places were my pastels wouldn't get wet, but I had to settle on painting under a tent. The view I chose was somewhat complicated, but interesting so I mapped things down before starting.  Because there were buildings in the background, it was important to get the perspective right, as well as the placement of the fountain. After that, it was a matter of getting the right temperature and depth. All I can say is that I'm very happy the judges liked it. I think this was the first time they had three awards for this event. 

Pulteney Park Fountain, 9x12", pastel on board, 2nd Place Paintout

On Saturday afternoon there was the gala and auction where the winners were announced. It was also a chance to talk with fellow artists. I was really surprised at my getting another award for Five O'clock Cows (top). which also sold!

Sunset on Island 27, 10x8"

Sunset on Island 27, pastel on board by Adriana Meiss

This is what a painting I did while island-hopping during my trip to Saranac Lake looks like now.
The original (below) was painted in mid afternoon. Even after finishing, I knew it still needed work, but just before departing the island, the sun lit the tree from behind giving me the idea on how to finish it at home.  Big difference, no?

Original painting done en plein air.

 This coming week I'll be heading to Geneva to participate in the Seneca Lake Plein Air Painting Festival. I just hope to produce at least three good paintings. Wish me luck!

Enshrouding Fog, 12x9"

Enshrouding Fog, pastel on board by Adriana Meiss

This is one of the paintings included in the A Dialogue with Nature exhibit, and this post is about how it came to be.

The original painting (below), was started on location during the third day of the Adirondack Plein Air Festival in July.  The painting was progressing well until the cloud blanket broke up into puffs that kept on changing the sunlit and shaded areas. My struggle with the changing conditions became so bad that midway I just quit. I saved the painting simply because I knew I could finish it at home.

Original painting done en plein air

 Once home, I saw things differently. The composition bothered me mainly because there were two equal masses of trees on both sides. So I started brushing off trees and  the idea of a foggy scene germinated.

Playing with the painting...

 During that trip to the Adirondacks I saw so many foggy bogs and marshes that I really wanted to paint, but couldn't because of  a bad location (too close to a main road) but also because how fast those conditions change. So I took the opportunity to develop this idea. In the stage below, you might be able to see the ghost of a dead tree I was considering placing on the left,

Getting a better idea of where I'm going with it...

I'm happy I was able to save the painting, and also happy for having taken pictures at different stages of the process, because I still see some good things from the original composition that might be worth developing some other time.

Adirondack Plein Air Festival

Rearview Mirror Inspiration, 9x12 pastel on board

Last week I participated for the first time in the Adirondack Plein Air Festival, in Saranac Lake. Below is a summarized account of what I did each day.

Day 1: Paint the Village
The trip to get there took me 4 hours but the scenery along the way was great and I had the chance to take lots of photos for future studio paintings. Once I got in the village the first thing I did was to get my boards stamped then immediately went around looking for a subject to paint in a 5x7 format that I had agreed to donate for a silent auction. After a while I found a river spot, by a supermarket, with a red bridge. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of it! Afterwards I headed for a place I had seen on my previous trip there, that had a nice field and a great view of the mountains.

A Magnificent View, 11x14" pastel on board by Adriana Meiss

 Day 2: Paint the VIC (Visitor Interpretive Center)/Paul Smith College
I got up very early and seeing fog from my bedroom window I decided to scout first some nearby locations before heading to Paul Smith College, 12 or so miles away. Once there I did more traveling looking for a pond to paint. After a while I settled for one I had seen earlier on that morning, but by then I had wasted 2 precious hours!  The funny thing is that three other pastellist arrived to paint the same scene after I got there, Then two other artists painting in oils joined us too. I worked slow and easy on this one and ended up spending close to 3 1/2 hours on it!

Kingfishers'Playground, 9x12" pastel on board

Afterwards, I headed for the VIC in search for more to paint. I really did not find anything inspiring there, but since there was to be dinner for the participants right there later on, I forced myself to paint trees. The painting was coming along well but at some point I ruined it; maybe I put too much darks to indicate areas under branches, in any case it wasn't worth posting it here.
  On the way home I stopped at Donellys' Ice Cream and started a painting of the barn and shed behind the store. I knew my chances of finishing right there were slim, but I got a lot done before it got too dark to continue.

Day 3: Paint the Adirondacks
I went to a marsh area on Rt 3 and found another artist painting there already. The day was cloudy and the clouds kept on changing, and I started chasing the clouds; good thing I realized what I was doing and changed gears. Next time I'm in a similar situation, I'll make sure I either stick with the original design (if it's good) or make the cloud area as small as possible in the painting.

Hope for a Sunny Day, 9x12", pastel on board

On my way to my next location by impulse, I stopped first to paint a shed with a painting of a moose head sticking from a window. My composition included mostly the road so the shed was tiny, but working under the shade of trees did not help and the painting will likely be erased.
I drove several miles to Clear Pond, which I had seen the day before, and although the scene was beautiful, I did not feel like when I saw it first. I had some serious struggles with this painting. First I started it in a vertical format but before I was done with the main outline I switched to a horizontal one. Then in the middle, I simply gave up and erased it right there, which I had never done before with any painting. Very disappointed I sat by the bridge railing and realized that things weren't working because I was very tired. After some minutes of relaxation I tried starting another painting but halfway into it I knew it was a waste of time. I spend  the next hour just taking pictures of what I had produced.

Before heading home (to frame) I went the opposite direction simply to take more photos. Seeing cattle under a tree, I looked for a way to get closer to them. I spotted a side road that intersected the road I was on just a few feet ahead so I took it and had a better view of the cows. I continued driving, looking for a spot to turn around, and that's when I saw  "my scene" in the rear view mirror. My tiredness magically dissipated. I pulled over, got my gear ready, and started to work. I worked fast and by the time it was dark I was done. This was my best painting in the event (it's the painting above). It did not win anything, but I got nice comments on it from several artists, and it sold!

In Hiding, 18x24"

In Hiding, pastel on board by Adriana Meiss

This is a studio painting done a few months ago for the Onondaga Art Guild Show. It's from one of my favorite places in the area, Meadowbrook Pond. Who's hiding?

Changing the subject, it's official now, I'll be showing at Baltimore Woods Nature Center this fall with my friend Maureen Barcza (oils). The title of the exhibit is A Dialogue with Nature. I gradually learned to converse with nature when I started painting outdoors. These conversations continue in the studio until the painting is finished. The funny thing is that now, even when painting from a reference photo, it is normal for me to engage in a conversation with the photo and my memories of the place.

On Location at Saranac Lake

 I spent this past weekend in the Adirondacks with a group of painters from Syracuse. 

AuSable River-west branch, at Wilmington Flume Falls, 14x11" pastel on board 

Having registered for the upcoming Saranac Plein Air event in August, I was somewhat worried about going to paint at an area I did not know anything about, so I decided it was time to join Sharon B., from our local art store, who has been organizing this weekend trip in that area for several years now.

Friday morning we went to Wilmington Flume Falls, where I painted the above scene of the west branch of the Ausable River. I did a lot of walking before finding this shaded spot, at the bottom of a wide trail.  The splashing sounds of people jumping from the rocks and swimming tempted me to get into the water but I was there to paint!  My poor case on wheels took a beating on the way back as I took a different route closer to the canyon edge that was very steep, and to make things worse, I had to carry the painting in my hand because I had left the glassine paper in the car...  I think that rock in the foreground will either have to go or get darker.

Saturday was boat trip day and island hopping.  We rented a boat with an outboard motor at the Saranac Lake Marina and went exploring the lake, then went through a small lock to the Middle Saranac Lake where we saw marshy areas. On the way back we stopped on Island #27 and decided to paint there.

This first painting was a real challenge for me. I felt like giving up on it at some point but continued till the end. It was an exercise on what was important in the composition and of colors at that time of day (early afternoon). Half the trees were left out.

Island #27, first painting, 9x12" pastel on board

Having finished and seeing the others still painting, I tried a second one. This one needs more work. There were bright yellow reflections on the water that I was not able to represent.

Island #27-second painting, 10x8" pastel on board 

On Sunday, three of us were back at Wilmington Flume Falls. This time, I wanted to paint the ski trails of Whiteface Mountain. I knew I couldn't go back home without trying to paint this scene. I asked for permission to paint at the parking lot between the motel and the restaurant where if not the very best view, it was the safest.

At the parking lot of the Hungry Trout Restaurant

Ski Trails at Whiteface Mountain, 11x14" pastel on board

Two funny things happened while there, a woman asked me if I wouldn't mind letting her daughter take a picture of her pretending she was painting my pastel. Of course I did not mind at all especially after seeing a picture of this woman pretending to be carving a bear!  I bet they will have great stories to tell their friends.  Then, when I was packing to leave, a man who worked at the restaurant came to where I was with a small food container for me. It was a piece of berry pie! Both were sweet.

After farewells and directions for several other places to paint, we parted ways. Before my next stop, I saw places along the road that offered great views and parking areas, and stopped to take pics. At Two Monuments, my next destination, there is a section of the Ausable River that is all smooth and the afternoon light was perfect on the opposite side. Halfway into the painting it dawned on me that I must have been very tired when I just couldn't get to make the upper left side work, so I packed; at least I have enough info to finish it at home.

The Ausable at Two Monument, 12x9"pastel on board

I have to say that it was a worthwhile trip. It is always great to paint with people who seem committed to paint.  And seeing the Adirondack High Peaks was the tip of the cake!