Palm Beach plein air

It's getting hot here in South Fla., and I'm always on the lookout for a shady place to paint. This charming little archway is all that remains of an old casino that dates back to the early glory days of Palm Beach. It's a great spot to paint with intracoastal breezes and old oaks for shade.

"Through the Arch" painted en plein air 05/2010, 16x12, oil on canvas

Plein air painting on Singer Island

Every Tuesday morning for the past 3 weeks I've painted en plein air with Dennis Aufiery's outdoor painting class. We set up at the newly constructed (but not yet occupied) buildings at Singer Island's public beach. I'm focusing on painting cars and the everyday reality of the scene.

Figure painting from the live model

After doing a few live events, it became clear that I needed to work on figure painting. So I signed up for a class at the Armory Art Center in West Palm instructed by Dennis Aufiery. After some tentative first tries, this painting was the strongest of the session.

Bloomie's Boca Bridal Show

One of the interesting aspects of live painting is I have opportunities to paint places I would never have imagined. Last week Bloomingdale's in Boca Raton invited its favorite brides to a private viewing of its fabulous wares. I set up my easel with a direct view of this classy china display and proceeded to paint dishes!

Event Painting in Palm Beach

Sharing our Strength, a non-profit organization whose mission is to ensure no child goes hungry, recently held a celebrity chef fund-raiser at the very chic Brazilian Court in Palm Beach. I painted this scene of the courtyard en plein air as guests began to arrive.

Plein Air in Delray Beach

Last week I painted plein air on Atlantic Avenue in downtown Delray Beach, FL as part of 2009 Plein Air, a juried competition sponsored by Arts Arena Gallery, and I received an award for this painting "Colony Hotel Shops." I wanted to capture the color and energy of the historic building, and then the three palms caught my eye. Felt so good to be outside painting after surviving a Florida summer. It's oil on canvas, 14"x11," framed, and priced at $500.

Live painting at the VIVE Bridal Show

I felt like I was entering a Hollywood stage set as I parked my car and hauled my painting gear through the rear entrance to the magnificent Boca Raton Resort and Club. This elegant bridal show, sponsored by Vive Magazine, was well attended by soon-to-be-brides and wedding industry professionals, who I'm sure felt as lucky as me to attend an event in this beautiful and historic venue.