Illinois State Beach

 Illinois State Beach Looking North February 2014

Illinois State Beach Looking South September 2013

I hope to do a series on Illinois State Beach.
All of the shores of Lake Michigan intrigue me. I spent a great deal of my youth and young adult years there and brought my children to experience the same delight.
There's something about the shores of Lake Michigan.
So maybe the series will end up being about the shores of Lake Michigan rather than this specific shore.

Coming into Rush Creek in minus degree temps in January 2014

6.5x8 oil on canvas

Rush Creek Conservation area McHenry County, IL. 0 to -15…silly me thought I could paint. I took the van that has heated seats and heaters all over, its 15 years old but at the time still worked, this winter was not kind to it.
I got out with my camera to help focus and take pictures and run back to the running, warm van. Ha! I was frozen…even with all the prep…all the layers and warmers and hats and thermals. The bite of the wind was just too much.
So this was done in the studio and was the first 30-minutes-or-less painting.

Oil 6x8 on panel fast 30 min or less maybe a little more

Brookdale Conservation Area, McHenry County, IL, a cold March day, sometime in March , funny geese landing on the lake using tails as a rudder

Lake Michigan in Milwaukee, WI, 41 degrees

Brookdale Conservation Area, McHenry County, IL 4/18 

My goal was to go out prepared, make definitive decisions on composition & color, not over think things, not bring my whole studio with me and paint everything I see,  and yes, that would include the garbage can.

Plein air painting has been a real struggle for me, my attention is almost non, I'm running with the clouds if they are racing or a hawk if it is stalking its pray, anything happening, I'm observering it, feeling it. 

I'm extremely sensitive to my surroundings. 

I go into overdrive. 

When I went to Jill Carver's workshop in Colorado and the aspens were in full color -- ha -- super overdrive. You guessed it, I was quaking with them. 

My whole body……….

Talk about Spiritual …….the other students thought I was 'round the bend. And some probably still think so.

It takes me awhile to drink it all in. I want it to be that way, nature is so awesome. 

I love it as much as I love painting people. Maybe more on some days.

I hope I never shut down. 

 Brookdale Conservation Area, McHenry County, IL

 Brookdale Conservation Area McHenry County, IL

 Jerry Conservation area in Woodstock, Il. 4/ 1

Open studio Drawing / painting

I open my studio on Thursday from 6:30- 9:30 pm  to draw and paint from a model here are a few charcoal sketches from this week