Painting at the Zoo

  Recently the Plein Air Painters of Chicago met up at the Lincoln Park Zoo on a beautiful Saturday morning in April. I regularly run along the lake front and the zoo is always my favorite detour from the running path. We have a regular route through the zoo to see as many animals as ...

A Successful Plein Air weekend

I had the opportunity to spend some time in the country to paint and work on some illustration projects. The excursion was a test run for a future project. I was able to spend a few hours of the three days I was in Missouri painting outdoors. The first two days of painting produced a ...

Plein Air Painting Equipment Tips

I’m planning a trip this fall with some friends to paint in the Ozarks. One of my buddies hasn’t painted en plein air before. So, instead of just sending him a list I thought this was a great opportunity to share this list. My equipment list isn’t exact or perfect. It’s not the best way, ...

Tour de Fat – Plein air

The Saturday paint out with the Plein Air Painters of Chicago started like any other. Finding a good spot, saying hello to friends, and getting to work. And I try not to forget stuff but I always do. This time I didn’t need my umbrella but I hated that I forgot it. But I found ...

Forest Steps – Woodstock, NY

Osaka Gardens Plein Air Paint Out

I met up with the Plein Air Painters of Chicago for a paint out at the Osaka Gardens in Jackson Park here in Chicago. Jackson Park is home to the Museum of Science and Industry at the north end of the park. There’s a brilliant statue of gold near 63rd. The park dates back to ...

Phil’s Last Stand – Plein Air

Plein air painted with the Plein Air Painters of Chicago group that meets every Saturday. While setting up for this session a man behind me seemed to have gone into cardiac arrest and needed an ambulance quickly.  

Plein air on Christmas Day

While the family was preparing Christmas dinner I went out in the back yard and painted for a bit. I had just gotten an umbrella that attaches to my easel set up to help block the sun so I could paint from any angle.  

Japanese Camellia

The Plein Air Painters of Chicago met at the Garfield park Conservatory one Saturday morning and I was glad to have made it out. Painting in the conservatory made it a little easier to spend more time on the subject with the light staying a little more constant since it was filtered through the glass. ...

Plein Air in Marengo, IL

I was able to spend the day with Jim Pavelec doing some plein air painting. We headed up to his in-laws place in Woodstock, IL. On the way he reminded me that it was the town where they filmed Groundhog Day with Bill Murray. We headed west to scope out some barns or a creek. ...

Little People – Mommy in a blue dress

  5.75″ x 6″. oil on panel. A Fischer Price Little People I found. I was practicing setting up a still life box and just wanted something small to paint to experiment. I had just returned from the Illustration Master Class and was itching to just paint. I had sketches due for a pile of ...

Warmachine sketching

My buddy Jim Pavelec needed to visit the Russell Military Museum for some concept sketching on a project he’s working on. He invited me to join him to do some sketching. It was fun romping around the museum grounds, which was more like a military junk yard. I was able to get a two sketches ...