Stewart Jones Art

I have been invited by the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens to again be one of the artist at the Winter Park Paint Out. It is an honor to paint with such a great group of established artists. Each year the participating artists create a painting in advance of the event to be juried as the poster art for this event. This was my entry this year "Albin's Courtyard." I did this painting on location over a series of days. Drawing one day, establishing the initial values another day then finishing the painting on a different day. I thought this was one of my better paintings. I enjoy the challenge of architecture and this particular view shows the variety of different angles and shapes of the buildings at the museum. No wonder it took a number of days to create this painting.

It is winter in Florida and I enjoy the chance to paint some of the grasses that are dormant during the cold season. A recent frost has changed the color of the grasses to a raw sienna hue. A friend of mine; Linda, and I took a recent trip to Seminole State Forest west of Sanford. We stopped to do a painting of a small lake Linda and I came across. There was a variety of flora that I wanted to include in the composition; palms, pines, grasses and cactus. After finishing the painting we continued to explore the park. Seminole State Forest is one of many public properties in the scenic Wekiva River Basin. A few examples of the ecological diversity here are flatwoods, scrub, blackwater streams and bottomland forests. Be sure to get a permit in advance if you are planning to explore this state forest by motor vehicle. www.fl-dof.com/state_Forests/seminole.html

It was a slightly cool morning in Florida, our local plein air group was supposed to be painting at Wekiva State Park. However when I got there I realized I was the only one who showed up. This is not the first time this has happened. After a brisk walk around Sand lake in my winter coat I drove back to the main springs. A flock of wild turkeys greeted me in the parking lot and I was able to photograph a couple of them up close before they scurried into the safety of their woods. There were very few patrons in the park that morning so I set up my easel right on the bridge and began painting the Wekiva River. I was inspired by new growth on the red maples. A few brave soles took early morning canoe rides and swimmers enjoyed the warmth of the water coming out of the springs. I am looking forward to painting here next month at the Wekiva Springs Paint-Out.

Previously on Friday January 8, I posted a blog and an image of a plein air painting I did at Kiawai Island. When working in my studio I like to take plein air studies and recreate them on a larger scale. I can also use additional references from photographs I took while on location. This painting "Kiawai Island Deer" was composed in such a manner. In the comfort of my studio I can take as long as I feel it is necessary to complete a painting. Sometimes this becomes a disadvantage as I put in too much detail or I go over the same area too many times. When I first started painting in Michigan years ago I enjoyed painting wildlife in the landscape. Which painting do you like better; the plein air version or the studio version?

I did a quick trip through Boston early last fall. I was only able to spend a short amount of time there and I didn't have time to do a painting but I did manage to take a few photos. When in my studio I like to experiment and push myself to create different moods and use different techniques. I started off by using masking fluid to preserve the light areas in the reflections on the waters surface and the lighter colors of the leaves on the trees. Then I painted right over these areas with a darker color. Letting some areas dry while some areas were still damp I continued to paint darker shapes to represent various values of the landscape. After these washes were dry I removed the masking fluid and painted very light washes on top of the white paper. A Walk In The Park was just a short trip from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The next time I visit Boston I will allow an extra day to visit the museum.