"Pines out the Studio Window" plein air , landscape painting by Robin Weiss

"Studio Pines"  9x12 oil on linen panel

I love my space at the Knowles Studio......and I love my friends Jim and Leigh who own the studio and have accepted me as part of their family. It is a wonderful place with amazing light and beautiful friends who share lots of love and laughs together.....It also seems to be a place where hurting people come to find a healing atmosphere...I thank God for that and continue to pray that all who enter will feel His presence there.

If I look to my right out the big windows as I am painting,  this is a part of the scene I see with the field in the foreground and the pines in the distance ....changing with the different seasons and times of day...

Jim and Leigh at Leigh's Hawaiian birthday

Leigh's older girl class

 
I have so many pictures of the studio and paintings done on location there, that I have given up trying to pick my favorites and get them into this post .....and stories too! ...maybe a book should be written........?

"Keeping Cool" figurative ,oil, painting by Robin Weiss

"Keeping Cool" 6x8 oil on panel

 Another from the beach photos I took on my plein air excursions to Edmonds. Loved this little girl "Keeping Cool" two ways!

I had fun with a little impromptu title challenge with this painting on facebook .  Dave Olson came up with the title and he will receive a newly minted 2013 desk calandar of my Seattle scenes.

2013 calendar of seattle city scenes by Robin Weiss

  I printed these up for the upcoming studio tour in Poulsbo called Arts in the Woods.....but I printed a LOT of them so if you would like one....or two....or ten.....email me at  robinweiss@earthlink.net  .....$10.00 by mail plus post depending on where you live....=]

"Sunday at the Beach" figurative, oil painting by Robin Weiss

"Sunday at the Beach" 6x8 oil on panel

All the plein air paintings from Edmonds have been posted and we went over and entered my submissions for the exhibition on Saturday.....I hope you get the chance to come over in August to see the show!

Of course I always carry my handy pocket camera while I'm out and about so I was able to snap a few shots of this family at the beach in Edmonds. Right now I am using a Nikon , Coolpix S9100....I like it pretty well but so far have not had a pocket camera last for more than a year and I don't expect this one to either...They get used every day!

Nikon Coolpix S9100

Here is a link to Amazon if you want to check out the camera...I may even buy another one of these.  If you have a camera that you like and then wear it out , buy the same one again and you're not only familiar with how it works but you have an extra battery and charger ....plus spare parts....

"The Brothers from Bracketts Landing Park" Edmonds, plein air oil painting by Robin Weiss

"The Brothers from Bracketts Landing Park" 6x8 oil on panel

Those of us who live in the Pacific Northwest,..particularly the Kitsap Peninsula are pretty much bound by the ferries in our travels. We all have ferry schedules in cars and backpacks. The last painting of that fabulous day a few weeks back was done as I was waiting for the ferry in Edmonds . "Why not" says I , "May as well try for one more while I'm waiting" ....I set the easel up just outside the ferry entrance and did a quick one of the Olympic mountain range across the water from Bracketts Landing.....Then I got yelled at by the ticket guy for running on at the last minute....and getting my cart stuck in the turnstile....=]

"Spanish Building" Edmonds plein air painting by Robin Weiss

"Spanish Building" 6x8 oil on linen panel

I completed three plein air paintings the day I did "White House"  It was a good day for me! Actually, I have been on a plein air painting roll lately....so much so that I am having a hard time getting all my paintings posted to the blog!...I am way behind!!.
   I called this painting "Spanish Building" because that's what it looks like to me. Its behind the main street in sort of an alley and the afternoon sun creates great color and shadows. The first time I tried to paint this subject I was chased off by an irate pair of crows who were nesting in the big tree on the left!

Tracy and Denise at Art Spot

 
By the way, on the front side of this building, on the main street in Edmonds is a new art supply store called Art Spot. It is owned by Denise Cole of Cole Gallery and run by Tracy Felix Fraker . they are a very friendly pair of gals and can help with any art supplies you may need. Tracy very graciously allowed me to store my PA pack mule, "pedro" in the back while I went to check out the Edmonds Art Festival. Thanks Tracy! ...and thanks Denise for opening this great resource for artists in Edmonds!

"White House" urban plein air painting by Robin Weiss , Gallery North's Plein Air and Beauty of the Northwest Exhibition.

"White House" 8x12 oil on panel  Sold

Okay, "White House" is not a very creative title......but I was in a hurry to get this painting entered in Gallery Norths Plein Air painting exhibition poster contest...Glad I made it because it won!

Rob and Kim painting in Edmonds WA.

We had another fun day painting on the street in Edmonds! Actually a little too close to the road......A very nice police officer came by in his cruiser and asked us to please move our easels out of the street. Fortunately we were about done so it was pack up time anyway.






The majority of this painting was done on location. When I got back to the studio I added the figure from a photo taken while I was working and then did a little touch up.

"Kite on Edmonds Beach" plein air, oil , landscape painting by Robin Weiss

"Kite on Edmonds Beach" 6x8 oil on panel   sold

I set up a little to close to the water painting this one......my chair slowly sank into the sand and I almost tipped over but would not give up till I captured it!

Kim calls my cart "Pedro the Pack mule"  or something like that.....she likes to travel light....I'm always over prepared for any contingency....Gotta work on that.....

"Edmonds Rain" and Gallery North's Plein Air and Beauty of the Northwest Exhibition

"Edmonds Rain" 8x10 urban oil painting by Robin Weiss

Kim Caldwell blissfully painting

Lately I have been walking on the Kingston/ Edmonds ferry with my painting gear to take part in Gallery Norths , Plein Air and Beauty of the Northwest painting exhibition.  The first couple times the weather was iffy with mostly rain and a few sun breaks.

This day I joined Kim Caldwell, a member of Gallery North and one of the artists administering the plein air event . She paints with watercolor so we found a good spot under the awning of a store to paint out of the rain.  Take a look at Kim's work

"The Metropolitan Grill" Seattle city, urban , oil painting by Robin Weiss

"The Metropolitan Grill"  6x10 oil on panel   SOLD

Still playing catch up here....This is a painting done awhile back that was in the Father/Son show at Alki Arts and somehow never got posted. Must have been one of those rare days of sunshine back in May...
Across the street is the Bus Stop at Second and Marian.

I have to add a pic of the new puppies at the Knowles Studio. They are very cute and lots of fun! ...and they will keep the rabbits and deer out of the garden!!    Meet , Rollie and Bing ;

Rollie and Bing     studio pups

Of course they are glued to Leigh most of the time and are not happy when she is busy with Art Camp......

Art Camp at Knowles Studio

"Foxgloves" wildflower, oil painting by Robin Weiss

"foxgloves" 6x10 oil on panel

Across the street from the studio is an awesome huckleberry patch. I went over to check on how the berries are developing and was stopped in my tracks by the light hitting these foxgloves. I took a picture and then painted them while the image was fresh in my mind.

By the way....We have had a lot of rain this year and the huckleberries will be fine for pie in September!!

"Bee Life" oil painting by Robin Weiss

"Bee Life" 4x10 oil on linen panel

Before we get to my plein air work I wanted to catch up on a few paintings that just kinda happen in between other stuff.....like this one.....I found this dead bee on the windowsill and set it aside for future consideration. Then one rainy day, looking for inspiration, I pinned the dead bee to a piece of foam core and decide to try and paint it alive....Then I taped a just-beginning-to-bloom, lavender flower under it for some reference....Turned out better than I thought it would.....and it was a great learning experience! 

"Red Rhodies #8" plein air, floral, watercolor painting by Robin Weiss

"Red Rhodies #8  SOLD

Okay friends, last watercolor!. This series loosened me up and got me refocused on painting outside. The weather is slowly changing to sun and shadows again and I will be doing more plein air.

If you enjoy watercolor painting and are interested in learning more about working in this medium outside, check out Catherine Gills website. She has an excellent instructional book out that has great tips on painting "en plein air" .  I am excited about attending her workshop in Montana this October!