Painting on the Road: Évora, Portugal

Evora, Portugal

When traveling I like to strike a balance between sightseeing and painting. On this trip I haven't been able to do as much painting as I like due to cool/cold/rainy weather. Hopefully that will change once we get to Spain. The weather cooperated in Evora, Portutugal, though and I was so grateful to bask in the sun on the plaza in front of our hostel. The hours flew by! Even when I can't paint, observing people and street scenes, visiting museums and monuments, and touring the countryside fuels my imagination and gives me information, ideas and photos to refer to for future paintings.

Clothes in backpack; art supplies in front pack

Here's a funny photo of me lugging my gear several blocks from where we parked our car and then up a couple flights of steep, narrow stairs to our room. The  pack on my back contains clothes and miscellaneous items for six weeks of travel; the pack on the front holds my Guerrilla box and a limited selection of pastels and paper. Lugging heavy art supplies around is worth it for the pleasure I derive being able to paint en plein air "on the road." Portugal in April has gorgeous countryside sprinkled with wildflowers!  I can't wait to get to work on these paintings when I get home!

Wildflowers along the Algarve

Future painting? I think so!

Old Red Farm Bench, Hood River area

Between the Trees, 6 x 9

Last summer I had the pleasure of joining other members of Northwest Pastel Society for a few days on a plein air painting excursion in the Hood River, Oregon, area. What tremendous fun it was to work in great weather along the mighty Columbia River and Gorge where the scenery is so varied and often dramatic. Here's a painting from that trip, and another one from a visit with my daughter and her family at their farm in Shelton, Washington. 

I'd also like to encourage you to look at the galleries of some of the Northwest Pastel Society members I painted with in Hood River by clicking on their names: Janice Wall of Vashon Island, WA; Barbara Szkutnik of Battleground, WA; Christine Knowles of Hood River, OR; Brenda Boylan of Portland; and Michael Fisher of Portland. They're a great group of people and have been very supportive and encouraging to me in my artistic journey.

Old Red Farm Bench, 8 x 11