"Before the Switch" Two Rivers Plein Air, New Braunfels, Texas, plein air painting by Robin Weiss

"Before the Switch"  11x14 oil on linen panel   Sold

I love the spontaneous stuff that happens when you are painting on location..I set up to paint this scene during the Two Rivers Plein Air competition with the plan to make the old barn my focal point. Always looking for a "lead in" to a composition, the train rails served the purpose perfectly. I also liked the diagonal bank with the trees taking over from the tracks leading to the barn.

Back she comes obscuring the view too late to mess me up!

As I was still working on the block in under-painting,  train noises started getting louder and louder until this boxcar appeared !  "Great" I thought "Now this train is going to block my view"!  Well, it stopped right there and some train guys started working around the tracks. I went over and asked them if the train was going to move. "It'll be about 30 mins until we can switch tracks and then she's movin on".......Okay!  30 minuets, I can do this!! I added the boxcars with their nice yellow color to the composition making it much more interesting!  Just as I finished, the train started moving back....



The other cool thing that happened surprised me on opening night of the event.  The owners of the barn came to buy the painting they saw me working on. Turns out this barn has been in the family over 100 years and they wanted it for posterity......I love that! One of the great things about plein air painting!

Hope all your trains arrive on time!!

Have fun out there!

"Comel River Park" Two Rivers Plein Air, New Braunfels, Texas. plein air painting by Robin Weiss

Comel River Park  8x16 oil

I was flipping through my blog to see what I have posted about and once again there are whole events and art journeys from this summer that have not yet made it to the online journal...I completely missed posting about the Two Rivers Plein Air event in Texas this spring!  So much has happened between now and then that I have forgotten a lot of places and names...Had to search for the name of this river! 
The best way to document your journeys is to keep a sketch book with names, places and info about where you have visited. I need to re-commit myself to taking the time for journaling! Especially on our upcoming trip to Europe! 

Texas was a blast and I so enjoyed all the people I met and friends made during my time there. Feel like I need to condense the whole event into one post just to catch up a bit.....but don't have the time this morning! Ha!....Just not enough time! But I'll keep slogging away at the blog and get to it all eventually!  Thanks for visiting! Hope all your journeys are joyful and productive!

Illwaco Marina, plein air oil painting by Robin Weiss

"Illwaco Marina"  9x12 , plein air oil,    $600

I tried this view again the following day in Illwaco. It was a pleasant spot to set up on the grass and close to coffee and bathrooms..There were a lot of people who came by to offer encouragement and that's always nice..  This is the last painting from the Cape Disappointment paint out with PAWA. From here we traveled to the town of Maupin, Oregon to raft the Deschutes River!  I only did one small painting near Maupin but took a lot of photos to paint from this winter!!  

Hope you get some positive encouragement today!!

Have fun out there!

"Willapa Bay" plein air, oil painting by Robin Weiss

"Willapa Bay"   9x12 oil on panel   Sold

This is the salt water estuary near Illwaco, WA.  When I scouted this location during the PAWA paintout at Cape Disappointment the fog had rolled in creating a beautiful atmosphere for this scene. I love how the mist simplifies the shapes for you and creates a mysterious feeling.

When I first set up my easel the fog was so thick water was collecting in my paint box and running down my panel. I packed up and waited for it to lift a little and then set up again.


If you get caught up in detail trying to paint outside, wait for a nice foggy day and give it a try.  Have fun out there!   =]

"Jessie's Illwaco Fish Co" plein air, oil painting by Robin Weiss

"Jessies Illwaco Fish Co."  8x10 oil    $500

There is a great benefit to hanging out for a few days in a new painting location. You get to do some exploring and find hidden locations you didn't expect.  That's what happened when Ann and I stumbled on the little fishing community of  Illwaco during the Cape Disappointment paint out with the Plein Air Washington Painters.  We spent the next two days painting around this marina town with it's commercial fish processing plant, cool strip of shops and seafood restaurants and even a salt water estuary on the back side.....just great stuff for an artist!!  Stay tuned for more studio paintings from all the reference sketches and pics!

At O'l Bobs Restaurant in Illwaco

"North Head Lighthouse" Cape Disappointment, plein air painting by Robin Weiss

"North Head Lighthouse" 8x10 oil on panel  SOLD

The whole gang met at the parking lot in Beards Hollow the next morning.  This is a great place to paint especially for a group!  You can park very close to great views of the North Head Lighthouse and the beach.

I love the way the atmosphere is always changing here. Every time I come to this spot it is different and sometimes very dramatic depending on the time of year.

To the left are Plein Air Washington Artists members gearing up for a fun day of painting in the park.

Below is a painting I did a few years ago in the same spot but very different conditions.  

North Head Lighthouse in the fog   plein air painting done in 2013    sold