So we packed up our acrylic paints and our brushes along with paper towels and cups for water and off we went in search of a location. Fortunately for us, within a few miles of our house is a spot Monet would be jealous of. Every year a local farmer plants a fabulous crop of sunflowers. This field was in full bloom a few weeks ago and I wanted very much to take my kids there to photograph them in it, but of course they balked at the idea. However, my little artist was willing to paint it along with me and much to our surprise another painter was already there. He was working in oils and began at 5 AM he told me, putting on his first layer of paint. My little partner and I only had about an hour before the sun would set. The young man who was working on the glorious, large oil painting had a wonderful easel that he told us his mother bought him when he was 11. Guess what Thing One has added to his Christmas list?
As we set up our spot on the field's edge, me on the ground and Thing One at his easel (aka music stand), the sky began to get very moody as Hurricane Irene moved up the east coast. My partner only saw blue sky though and my sky kept changing it's mind on what color it would end up to be.
Our fellow plein air artist stopped to chat with us and we learned that he was from Indiana and currently a medical student at the U of R. Painting, he said, was a hobby.
I think Thing One has learned that he doesn't have to limit his career choice to just being an artist, last week after we went to a carnival, he told me he thought he might like to be a clown when he grows up.
I hope he considers medical school as well!
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| Easel schmeasel.. my lap works just fine. |
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| Settled on some pink in the sky. |
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| Thing One's summer paintings. |
