MOP-STOP

Regular MOP biweekly blog posts will be discontinued until next spring.

MOP LOCATION: Saturday, Sept. 21

Our location this week is at the Homestead at Chippewa Nature Center.  It will be 63 degrees, partly sunny, and 20% chance of rain.  Note: Priscilla will be there a little after 10am to take pictures only.

MOP-UPdate: Saturday Sept. 14

Chippewa Nature Center is especially beautiful this time of year, so we painted in the same

spot as last week.

Priscilla did another sketch of the same view, but this week spent 45 minutes on it.

She then turned her easel around and spent another 45 minutes on another subject. It was very sunny, so she had her umbrella, but it was also very windy, so she couldn't really use it.  It's difficult to see the colors accurately when the painting is in shade and the palette is in the sun.

Donna had her back to the sun, so both her painting and palette were in shade.

She did a good job matching colors!

MOP LOCATION: Saturday, Sept. 14

We'll paint again at the CNC:  the parking lot and picnic shelter near Peepers Pond.  Unlike last Saturday, it will be clear, sunny and 70!

MOP-UPdate: Saturday Sept. 6

It threatened to rain, but it didn't come for about an hour, so Priscilla was able to get in two half-hour color studies.

MOP LOCATION: Saturday, Sept. 7

This week we'll go to the Chippewa Nature Center parking lot shelter near Peeper's Pond.  It's a good place to paint from if/when it rains.

MOP-UPdate: Aug. 31

This Saturday was a somewhat overcast and comfortably cool morning at the Dow Gardens.

Vicki is working on a piece she started days before. 

She had already completed the composition so she could concentrate on colors and detail during this session.

Donna is painting one of the red bridges.

It looks like a finished painting. (Photo shows a glare on the image.)

Priscilla set up at the entrance to paint the building.  She's trying out a new product:  Arches Oil Paper.  It has a smooth surface, but grabs the paint nicely - not too absorbent, and the price is right!

1 1/2 hour, 6" x 8" study - no detail.

MOP LOCATION: Saturday, Aug. 31

We'll paint this week at Dow Gardens.  Priscilla will be setting up somewhere near the entrance.  See you there!

MOP-UPdate: Saturday 8/24/13

A sunny morning in downtown Midland brought lots of patrons to Espresso Milano to sit outside and enjoy some sunshine with their coffee.

Priscilla again chose a subject with moving details (people) to convey the feeling of the morning.

This is as far as two hours got her, but a good enough start to make another visit - sometime very soon!

MOP LOCATION: Saturday Aug. 24

This Saturday, let's meet at the intersection of Main and Ashman again.  It's s'posed to be 82 and sunny!

MOP LOCATION: Saturday, Aug. 17

We'll meet again at Barstow Woods Park.  See the map in last week's post.  There is also parking and entrance to the park from Manor Dr.

MOP-UPdate, Saturday, Aug 10

A beautiful morning at Barstow Woods!

Vicki's painting is of a view looking out to the dog park from the edge of the woods.

Donna chose to "look the other way" and painted the woods from the edge of the dog park!

Priscilla stepped outside the park to paint the Barstow Picnic Shelter.  They were setting up for a child's birthday party.

She actually finished this one on the spot.  Well, almost.  "After the Picnic",  8" x 10"

MOP LOCATION: Saturday, Aug. 10

We'll meet at Barstow Woods Park this time.  Parking is just off of Saginaw Rd. north of the Circle and south of West St. Andrews.

MOP-UPdate: Saturday Aug. 3

Saturday was a lovely sunny morning at Margorie's house.  

Vicki was attracted to the way the light hit the side of trailing willow leaves and the light patterns on the grass beneath the willow tree.

She got right to work on an orange-toned ground which showed off the yellow-greens to good advantage.  Note the difference in hue between the painting and the photo of the willow taken on site.  In natural lighting, the camera really dropped out the yellows.
Still a bit of work to be done, especially on the shrub in the lower RH corner.

MOP LOCATION: Saturday, Aug. 3

We'll meet at Marjorie Kruger's again this time.  The fields and trees will look quite different by this time of the year!  Her address is 12720 Sarle.  She has said it's okay to set up anywhere along the road there.  The neighbors are okay with it.

MOP-UPdate, Saturday, July 27

What started out chilly and overcast slowly turned into a misty bright warm day!  Imagine that!  It's a nice "reward" for setting forth in spite of the weather of the moment!

 

We chose a view of the M-20 overpass from Chippewassee Park

Donna and Vicki enjoying the challenge.

Many visitors to the park were curious about what we were doing.

Vicki is putting in the darks under the overpass.

Donna's working on the trees.

Priscilla thought she was close to finished...

...until she added the sky colors.  Many adjustments to make before calling it done!

MOP LOCATION: Saturday, July 27

This Saturday we will be painting at Chippewassee Park, just over the Tridge from the Farmer's Market.  There is several good views of the Tridge from the river, and shelter if it rains.  See you there!

MOP-UPdate: Saturday, July 20

It was very quiet at the Wetlands this Saturday.  For the first hour, Vicki was the only one there:

I picked a simple motive:  just a tree lit along one edge by the morning light.  Bachelor Buttons in bloom gave a purple hint to the distant meadow.  This coloration doesn't show up well in the photo.

I set up and got going.  As I painted, more of the right hand side of the tree became lighted.

I think I will darken the RH edge in the final painting to recapture some of the original lighting.

MOP LOCATION: Saturday July 20

We'll be meeting again at the wetlands. For directions, see the post for July 11.  It will be partly cloudy with 20 percent chance of rain.  And only 86 degrees!  Cool!

MOP-UPdate: Saturday, July 13

A steamy, beautiful, quiet morning at the CNC Wetlands.

Priscilla started with a view far across the pond.

She place the horizon low in the picture so she would have room to paint some interesting cloud formations.

Vicki chose a similar view but placed her horizon line much higher...

...so she could show more of the pond and foerground.

After 1.5 hours or so, Priscilla moved her easel and challenged herself to complete a small painting in half an hour.  A good exercise in painting loosely and quickly!

MOP LOCATION: Saturday July 13

We will meet at the CNC Wetlands western parking lot.  It may be "partly cloudy" this Saturday morning. It could be that there will be interesting sky over the Wetlands.  The Wetlands are located off of Badour Rd. Take the normal route to the Chippewa Nature Center from Midland, only when you get to Badour Rd., turn left, not right.
Parking for the Wetlands is on the left just a short way down the road.  See you there!

MOP-UPdate; Saturday, July 6

It was a steamy hot morning and no shade in sight.  Once we began painting, though, not much else mattered, but only for a while!

Priscilla is reworking a painting she started one morning a few weeks ago.

Just barely staying out of the sun!

Vick is using her extra big umbrella today.

She is starting to block in her composition with the darkest darks.

Donna found a shady spot...

...and completed a beautifully composed painting on the spot!

MOP LOCATION: Saturday July 6

We'll go out to Averill Nature Preserve along the Rail Trail.  See the map below.  Lots to paint, plus convenient parking.