Lavender Festival and Umpqua Plein Air 2011

Even though it's cold and rainy out, summer should eventually arrive.  I hope.  With thoughts of balmy summer afternoons in mind, I've been busy signing up for summer painting activities.

The Yamhill Lavender Festival Plein Air Paint Out and Art Show kicks off June 24, with two crazy weeks of plein air madness.  Artists have two weeks to visit and paint at more than two dozen lavender farms in western Oregon.  At the end of that two week period, the paintings are framed (or wired) and delivered to Beulah Park in beautiful Yamhill (30 minutes west of Beaverton) and displayed during the Yamhill Lavender Festival.  Judging and reception are Friday July 8, and the festival is Saturday and Sunday July 9 and 10.  All work is for sale with 15% commission.  It's a fun event to participate in as an artist, and a fun festival to attend.  Music, food, beer, lavender...need I say more?  It's not too late to sign up to participate...http://www.oregonlavenderdestinations.com/artists.php  Registration is $25 before June 1, $35 after June 1.

I've also signed up for:

Umpqua Plein Air 2011 - Location, Location, Location

July 14 and July 15

Open to all artists and enthusiasts everywhere!  No matter where you are from, this is for you!
Juried by Artist Mitch Baird - Cash awards,1st place $500, 2nd place $200 3rd place $100 and up to 40 awards of distinction.

Registration deadline is June 8, 2011.

You can register online at http://uvarts.com/call-to-artists

May Day on the Island

I was up early this morning to drive out to Sauvie Island.  I wasn't disappointed.
Deuce (my chocolate lab) and I met up with Brenda at about 8:30 at Steelman Lake.  The sky has been intensely blue the last few days, and coupled with the completely lush spring foliage, well, it was almost too much to take in.

I felt like I was on a movie set.  The lake is bordered by a gorgeous grassy field that grows all the way to the waterline.  The trees are wearing most of their leaves, and the field grass is thigh high and beginning to bloom.  When Deuce ran through the field he made the pollen puff up off the grass, leaving little trails of "smoke".  

 A kingfisher hung around for a while making quite a racket.  He seemed to like the attention as he flew back and forth over the lake, very close to where we were painting, calling loudly to anyone who would listen.  There were quite a few cows at the other end of the field when we first got there, but I saw them walking single file over the dike, so I thought they had left the area.  At one point they started bawling really loud and sounding like they were getting pretty close to where we were.  Deuce would have enjoyed a bovine encounter, but it was not to be.

It was so nice to be able to set up my painting stuff in the grass.  It was easy to set up my big umbrella into the soft ground, and Deuce made a nice nest in the shade.  We were joined late morning by six or seven more painters, and I heard there were three other painters working down the road.

The weather forecast is looking good, so I'm planning on getting out again tomorrow to soak up more of this perfect weather.  And paint!