Yes, October is definitely the end of summer; one might even suggest September is, but the sun is bright this morning and it’s going into the 70s today so I can call it summer if I want to.
I feel like this was the shortest summer on record, the days passed so quickly and not a single painting of mine sold at the lighthouse gallery, though most gratefully three sold here in my gallery. An artist calls the seasons by sales of her art. Wanting others to love what she labored to create will always motivate her existence.
Right now, I want to take advantage of plein air painting before Maine cold sets in. If you have not watched an artist paint outdoors you should. It captivates. Every rather-famous watercolor artist I’ve studied with painted outdoors, as do I. Certainly we can accept working in the studio when weather dictates that we stay indoors, but the refreshing and inspiring process of painting in nature is marvelous. One captures more that way. The very breeze itself seems to envelope the paper and caress brushstrokes. Nature’s shadows and light boldly stand out, enabling perfect rendering of values, shapes, and mood. I love to paint en plein air. In fact, I think I’ll try it today–at summer’s end.
Summer Glory, framed watercolor, 29″ x 23″, $775 by Gwendolyn Evans
Artwork: Summer Glory, framed watercolor, 29″ x 23″, $775. This painting was done in downtown Easton, PA where 1800s architecture meets both charm and grit. We lived there briefly in a twin, before moving to Shawnee-on-Delaware into a 1736 historic house beside a huge waterfall, not far from the Appalachian Trail, where I had my gallery and B&B for many invigorating years.