"Sailfish Park" Florida plien air painting by Robin Weiss

" Sailfish Park"  10x12 oil on panel   Sold

This painting wraps up all my work completed during the 5th Annual Plein Air Festival in Tequesta Florida. Ann rode by this little park during her daily bike ride and suggested I paint there....Good idea!  What a beautiful setting!

 I had practiced drawing sketches of Egrets before I went to Florida, thinking I would add them into paintings. I never did until this guy walked by as I was painting this scene....A perfect focal point and soooooo Florida!


Although it was great to visit Florida again and we had a fun time visiting friends and family it's also good to come home .....and recoup for the next adventure!   Thanks for tagging along on the blog!
Have fun out there!!

Coming up next will be city paintings produced for a featured artist exhibit at the Michael Birawer Gallery in Seattle!  =]

"View from the Square Grouper" Florida plein air painting by Robin Weiss

"View from the Square Grouper"  9x12 oil on panel   Sold

Weather forcast; thunder storms with heavy rain...It happens in Florida in March a lot!  During a plein air event it can set you back in getting work done unless you plan for it. I knew this storm was coming and planned to set up in a covered, outdoor Tiki bar called the Square Grouper. No one but the staff shows up before noon and the owner is cool with artists painting in the mornings..Perfect!

I did the one above in the morning as the storm began to roll in. The one below after the storm as the sun began to warm things up again.  

"The Castaways Marina"  9x12 oil on panel   $600

"View from Duboise Park" plein air Florida landscape by Robin Weiss

"View from Duboise Park"  12x8 oil   

Collection of Victor Lohman

This was the last painting completed at Duboise Park during the 5th Annual Plein Air Festival. It is a similar composition to one that I did last year.   There was a perfect focal point in the foreground when I set up but unfortunately they packed up and came over to see what I was painting....Such are the challenges of painting on location!!.....Maybe someday I'll get good enough...or brave enough to add in to a plein air painting, complex elements from memory.

"The Jetty" plein air marinescape painting by Robin Weiss

"The Jetty" 6x10 oil on panel    Sold

After laboring over a larger painting of the Florida coast at Duboise Park during the 5th Annual Plein Air Festival (see last post) and being somewhat frustrated that I couldn't translate the feel of the ocean,sky misty mix of atmosphere...I turned my easel in another direction and painted a smaller,quicker more immediate study...On this one I was working more on close observation of value and movement and then laying down brush strokes reflecting those visuals and letting them stand.  I was more satisfied with this result and so was the collector who bought it...but it doesn't always work out that way when you paint in this manner. The risks are higher but so are the rewards!

Have fun out there!!!  =]

"Coastal Clouds"  10x12 oil on panel    $600

Surfing the Nor'easter" plein air oil painting by Robin Weiss

"Surfing the Nor'easter"   11x14 oil on panel      

Available at auction, Lighthouse Art Center

Duboise Park was a favorite location from last years Lighthouse Art Center plein air event and I wanted to go back there.  Recently there had been a very powerful storm hit the east coast of the US and the effects of that storm reached all the way down to South Florida, creating surf that wasn't to much fun for swimmers but great for local surfers.

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Ralph Papa paints at Duboise Park, South Florida

One of the great things about attending these plein air events is meeting other artists and folks that are interested in art.

I kept running into Ralph Papa at the locations I was painting and got to know him a little better. Ralph is a great artist with his own gallery. His warm smile and positive attitude make for fun times painting and hanging out.

Check out Ralphs website HERE
http://papagallery.com/

"Fishing at Sandsprit Park" plein air oil painting by Robin Weiss

"Fishing at Sandsprit Park"     8x16 oil     Sold

On the way back from Port Selerno I stopped at a location that the event photographer suggested called Sandsprit Park. It was pretty late in the day but I found a scene that worked for a long narrow composition. What was amazing is that the two people fishing on the dock stayed until I was mostly finished with the painting and that never happens!

"Phil's Motor Repair" plein air oil painting by Robin Weiss

"Phil's Motor Repair"  9x12 oil      Sold

The 5th Annual Plein Air Festival was my second time competing in the Lighthouse Art Center event. I wanted to paint in a location that I didn't get the chance to last time. My strategy (and you do need a plan in these events!) was to head to the farthest location and then work my way in closer to Jupiter as the week progressed. I never made it to Port Selerno last year so early Monday morning after stopping for coffee I headed north.

"Hobe Sound"  6x8 oil   $250

The day was beautiful and the morning clear and bright, couldn't help stopping on the way at a nature preserve called Hobe Sound to warm up with a small painting. After a short hike through the palmettos I arrived at this quiet and peaceful beach.

Port Selerno is a painters dream!  lots of boatyards, marinas and old stuff!  Just what I was looking for.  I found a spot out at the end of a dock where I had two good views to paint.

"Port Selerno"  10x12 oil  $700

I wasn't too happy with the first painting (left) and considered scraping it but in the end decided to wait till the morning. Sometimes it's better to cut your losses and start a new painting while you are still fresh and that worked out for me this time. I turned my easel and painted the scene at top, "Phil's Motor Repair",  Sold that same day in the gallery.  I touched up "Port Selerno" next day and improved it enough to keep as a good memory of a fantastic painting location in South Florida!....or sell if you like it..  =]  I am trying to make a living off my dream job..

Thanks for visiting in plein air!  =]

"Palms and Pelicans" plein air oil painting by Robin Weiss

"Palms and Pelicans"  12x9     Sold

We are back now from the 5th Annual Plein Air Competition and have already started another adventure in Hawaii on our first family vacation outside the continental US. It has been hard to keep up with the blog and I am way behind again as usual. Being as how this blog is my only way to journal all that is happening I would like to keep the ball rolling!  Ha!  We will see....

The painting above was done during the Quick Draw competition at Flagler Park. It won an honorable mention from judge and artist Nancy Tankersley. This year the quick draw was the first event in the competition and did a good job of warming me up for the rest of the week. After that it was a fast and furious week of painting which you will see....

I also had a great time seeing artist friends from last year and meeting new friends. The talent represented in this event is amazing, inspiring and humbling!

Thanks for checking in!