Rea Valley Barn

Rea Valley Barn

6X8, Oil on Panel

SOLD

Long past due to add something here.  But this is old from the White River Plein Air this spring.  That was a cold, dreary day.  And now here it is, another cold dreary day before I return to this blog.  Time has a way of slipping through our fingers.

2nd Street Cotter Nocturne, Baxter County

2nd Street Cotter Nocturne

8X10, Oil on Panel

Available

 

 

This was the third painting I turned in for the White River Plein Air contest.  I painted it during the night when all of the other contest attendees were attending some kind of social thing.  I hate to say it but I really did not bother to meet or talk to any of the other artists during this event.  As soon as I had my panels marked, I was off and away and I did not really see any other artists until I turned my pieces in.

 

This piece won the First Timers Award.  Looking around at the work of painters who won other awards, I have my work cut out for me if I want to have a chance at winning anything in the years to come.  Lots of really great painters attend this event.

Deshields Creek Floodplain, Old Town Lead Hill, Boone County

Deshields Creek Floodplain, Old Town Lead Hill

9X12, Oil on Panel

Available

 

 

The White River Plein Air contest has a geographic limitation of a 30 mile radius from the town of Cotter.  I used almost all of that to get this scene from my home town.

Keesee Church, Monarch, Marion County

Keesee Church

8X10, Oil on Panel

SOLD

At the beginning of May, I attended my first ever plein air competition, Plein Air on the White River in the northern part of the state.  This area is close to where I grew up so I know it well.  The competition is centered around the town of Cotter.  The White River has been dammed up in several places, forming Beaver, Bull Shoals, and Table Rock Lakes.  The water that pours out of Bull Shoals Dam is cold and provides a great habitat for trout, making Cotter a haven for fly fishermen.  Most attendees spent a lot of time around the river near Cotter painting the typical scenes.  I, however, in typical contrarian fashion, struck out far and wide and found things no one else would have looked for.  This little church is tucked down a long valley about 20 miles from Cotter near Monarch.  Monarch isn't really a town anymore even though a lot of people still refer to it almost as if it is.  I used to pass by this church often.