Plein Air Adventures,plein air, Oil paintings,fall aspen ,aspen trees

Plein Air Painting Adventures ( or misadventures)  Story follows paintings below. 

Indian Mountain, 9x12 plein air oil painting

View from Cabin Deck, 9x12 plein air oil painting

Near Basalt, 6x8 plein air oil painting

Plein Air Painting Misadventures

(At least one pretty rough start)

Every fall I take about a week and head into the mountains to paint the gorgeous scenery.

My first painting site on this particular adventure was Kenosha Pass. It was a late afternoon weekday.  Slightly rainy, very foggy, and a little on the cool side. There was nobody up at Kenosha and I drove far into the forest. I hopped out of my trusty ol’ 4 door yellow jeep and began taking photographs. It was lovely. A foggy autumn kind of lovely.

 After about 30 minutes it started to rain more heavily and I began to get pretty wet and cold. I headed back to the jeep but .....my keys were gone! And I'd walked all over the place, including off the trail and into some deep grassy areas. I was locked out of the jeep, cold and wet and had no cell phone coverage. I searched for about an hour and was beginning to panic.  I even started to cry.  There wasn't a soul in sight and I hated the idea of hitching a ride on 285! 

 Shortly after sending up a desperate prayer for help and through divine intervention I am sure, I finally found the keys in a grassy area well off the beaten path.  I made it to the cabin in Indian Mountain and made myself a nice, warm cozy fire in the wood stove. I took off my wet wool socks and set them on the wood stove's mantle to dry.

On the second day of my solo plein air painting trip I hopped on my little enduro motorcycle and tooled around Indian Mountain taking photographs with the brand-new expensive Canon camera that my husband had just bought me for my birthday. I returned to the cabin and set the camera on the motorcycle seat and did a quick plein air painting of some fallen trees outside of my cabin. The painting turned out well and I decided to reward that small success with another quick mo-mo ride.

I love to ride my motorcycle on the dirt roads of Indian Mountain in the fall!  The crisp, cool air, shimmering golden -yellow aspen and the wafting scent of scattered campfires is intoxicating.  How in the world I overlooked this next part I've no clue. But I hopped on the motorcycle and started down the worn dirt driveway when suddenly I heard a grinding, gnashing, awful, crunching sound. I'd sat on the strap of the camera, and the camera swung over into the back tire and was being desecrated by the churning spokes.  Bye- bye, nice, new, expensive camera lens. (Thank goodness the body of the camera was intact, although I was sure at the time it, too, was ruined.)

  Feeling beat up and defeated by my own stupidity I took refuge back inside the cabin only to find my wool socks burnt to a crisp on the fire mantel from the previous night. I could've burnt the place down. 

As far as I recall there were no other major gaffes on that particular trip,  but when I have that many misadventures in a row I tend to get fed up and reign it in. I can really focus and concentrate when I need to, although I do tend to reside most often on the comfortable, breezy, artistic right side of my brain, which can get me into big trouble. Ah, the joys and struggles of the artistic life!

Next time:  Looking on the Bright Side of Things

(when tightly wrapped, frozen beef defrosts then explodes inside of your Plein Air Paintmobile (AKA yellow jeep) on a very hot summer day.)

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Deer Creek Road 8x10 oil/panel

Price determined my you!

Click here to bid:  eBay bidding

Day #4 of the 30 paintings in 30 Days Challenge!  This piece is from a scene I often pass as I drive to Deer Creek Park to hike or run.  The views along this lovely winding road are spectacular all year long, but particularly in the fall and spring.  And the winter! (Summer too) 
 Well, all year long.

Since I will be painting and posting daily this month, I have decided to place these paintings on eBay. In addition,  I thought it would be nice to put this month to good use and try a fund raiser.  50% of sales from the 30 in 30 paintings will go to help support a budding new operation: Extended Hands of Hope.  This local ( Colorado) non-profit organiziation seeks to help underage girls who have experienced extreme trauma through the horrors or sex trafficking. 

You may read more about this organization here:  Extended Hands of Help

Thanks for your support!

Daily paintings pastel paintings 30 paintings in 30 days art for sale Tracy Haines Colorado Landscapes

Reflections on a Pond

8x10 pastel, unframed

Tracy Haines

$ 95.00

This month, September, 2015,  I have joined Lesli Saeta's 30 paintings in 30 days challenge.  I had heard about this in the past and was looking forward to trying it myself.
The goal is to paint a completed work every day and post the pieces on her sight.  

If you are interested in joining me for the Ladies Plein Air Painting Retreat, see the post on August 31 st for details.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my blog!

Artists' Retreat,plein air painting,mountains,fall aspen,paintings,

Ladies Artists' Retreat
****************
Plein Air Paint-Out
**************** 
Better than a Bed and Breakfast
                               
                               

 Eat, drink, live and breath art for 3 days and 3 nights with 3-5 other artists in a beautiful mountain setting.
Why just ladies? You'll see.....read on! :)
 ( Guys- we will get one set up for you soon)

 Here's the scoop:

Every fall, in late September, I head up to our place in Indian Mountain (South Park area- Jefferson , Colorado- about 15 miles north of Fairplay) to paint the scenery.  It's absolutely gorgeous.  I thought it would be fun to try out an idea, and this may become a regular thing:

From Thursday to Sunday ( September 17-20 and September 24-27) a maximum of 5 artists ( including me) will stay together at the cabin.   I, your hostess, will guide the group to some of my favorite painting spots. We will paint outside all day Friday and Saturday, and half of Sunday. All meals are included in the cost.

The long weekend will kick off Thursday.  Painters arrive between 4-6 pm, settle in and enjoy drinks and hors devours.  Dinner will be served at 6:30.

Friday and Saturday, after a leisurely breakfast, we will each make and pack our own lunches ( food provided for this) and head out to paint from 9:30 or 10:00 until 1:00 or so.   After a nice picnic lunch, we will head to a new location to paint for the afternoon.

We will arrive back at the cabin between 5-7 and relax by a campfire or on the large deck while I prepare dinner.  We will enjoy nightly critiques of all the paintings, and share tips and ideas. I have a nice library of art books and some painting DVDs of various artists that will be on hand at the cabin.

The total cost for the long weekend is $ 400.00 per person.  This includes 2 glasses of wine each with dinners.  Feel free to bring other beverages of your choice for the weekend.

Sleeping arrangements are as follows:

The master bedroom has one queen sized bed.
The guest bedroom has 2 bunk beds, with double -sized futons on the bottoms of both bunks.
The living room couch pulls out into a queen bed.  There are two full bathrooms.

So, it's cozy.   It's perfect for a *group of friends, and unique and daring for 4-5 utter strangers.  But artists tend to hit it off immediately, in general, and what a fun way to make some new friends!
If you like adventure, and love to paint the beauty of the mountains in the fall, please, sign up!

* If you are a group of friends interested in doing this, I am happy to include more people ( up to 8 friends) for a private retreat  ( with or without me there as guide and cook) so e-mail or call me to discuss this option.

Nitty Gritty Stuff

The cabin is located about 75 miles from Littleton, CO, or about 90 miles from Denver.  It's off I-285, so the traffic problems associated with I-70 are conveniently avoided. Breckenridge is a 45-60 minute drive, and Buena Vista about 60 minutes away.

This retreat will be casual.  No tight schedules.  If anyone prefers to relax back at the cabin after half a day of painting, that is perfectly fine. There is also hiking, biking, horseback riding and other activities available not far from the cabin.
 You will need a car.  I have a jeep, but with painting equipment we will need at least one other vehicle for car pooling to the painting sites.  A car with 4-wheel drive would be best, as the road to the cabin is unpaved.

A detailed menu for the weekends will be laid out in a subsequent blog post.

Mountain weather is very unpredictable.  There will not be refunds for bad weather.  We will do our best and paint inside the cabin if need be.

Cancellation/Refund policy:

100% refund if cancel 2 weeks prior to retreat
50% refund if cancel one week prior to retreat

To pay, e-mail me at Tracy8haines@msn.com and let me know which of the two dates you prefer ( September 17-20 or Sept. 24-27.  I will then send you an invoice via paypal.  You may also pay by check if you prefer.

Please call me or e-mail with any questions.
Tracy 303-525-6871
Tracy8haines@msn.com

Visit my website at Tracyhaines.com or check out my you tubes on YouTube channel, Tracy Haines Fine Art.

Encaustic painting by landscape artist Tracy Haines

Pin painting

This is a 6x6 encaustic painting.  From time to time I like to try out new media.  It keeps my work fresh and helps me avoid artists block.

More of this kind of work is available from my Etsy store.

My Etsy store

Encaustics are paintings done using melted beeswax with or without a medium called damar resin. Damar resin helps harden the wax, making it more durable and transparent. The finished painting has a wonderful mild honey scent.  One can paint with colored wax alone, as in this example, or use a mixed media approach , incorporating collage and other media. It's a versatile medium, lots of fun, and is gaining in popularit

Why is original art so expensive by Tracy Haines

Spring Towards Rampart 8x10 oil/birch  Available for purchase

I am occasionally asked why original art is so expensive. Before becoming an artist, I wondered the same thing.

I would like to share a little bit of what I have learned.

In today's post, I will cover the cost of some essential materials used in a painting. In subsequent posts, we will look at the costs associated with learning to paint, setting up a studio, producing a single painting for sale, start to finish, then what is involved in trying to sell a painting.

The average oil painter uses a palette of a minimum of 6 colors plus white. This bare minimum usually consists of a warm and cool version of each of the primaries. 

A small 37ml tube of professional quality paint averages a price between $8.00 ( alizarin, a cool red) and $19.00 (Cobalt blue)

So, on average, most painters have spent $ 100.00 on paint alone. ( my current working palette has 15 colors plus white)

Decent quality canvases vary in price, but , to do 12 small, 9x12 paintings on an average quality cotton canvas, you can add another $ 80.00. Oil paints and canvases need to be purchased continually. 

To purchase 5 quality oil bristle brushes in different sizes ( again, a bare bones set up) , an investment of perhaps around $50 can be expected. This cost can be stretched out over a longer time, but brushes need to be replaced not infrequently. 

The painter also needs mineral spirits, paint medium and varnish. 

Then there is the initial cost of setting up a dedicated studio area including an easel. This will be covered in another post.

Tracy Haines pastels paintings landscapes crested Butte Colorado wildflowers mountains hills streams

Title:  Hill's Pattern in Crested Butte

Artist: Tracy Haines

Medium: Pastel on black Canson mi Tientes mattboard

Size:  8x10

Unframed

This is one of many plein air pieces I did on a trip back to Crested Butte, Colorado earlier this July.  The scenes everywhere were simply show-stopping.  It was the week of the wildflower festival.  This year the color purple seemed to dominate over the yellow we saw in abundance last year.  I loved the pattern the hills and trees made, and the hint of the stream leading the eye comfortably into the composition.

Tracy Haines pastels landscapes paintings art plein air crested Butte Colorado mountains

Title:  Evening in Crested Butte

Artist: Tracy Haines

Medium: Pastel on sanded archival-treated MDF board

Size:  8x10

Unframed

This is one of many plein air pieces I did on a trip back to Crested Butte, Colorado earlier this July.  The scenes everywhere were simply show-stopping.  It was the week of the wildflower festival.  This year the color purple seemed to dominate over the yellow we saw in abundance last year. 

Tracy Haines pastel painting plein air impressionist mountains fall aspen colors como colorado art wall art

Title:  Beck's View

Artist: Tracy Haines

Medium: Pastel on Ampersand's Pastelboard

Size:  8x10

Unframed

Winding up Antler Ridge in Indian Mountain, my sister Becky and I were struck by this gorgeous view.  

Tracy Haines, colorful, Colorado, landscapes, pastels, mountains, trees, snow aspen

Title:  Aspens in Springtime Artist: Tracy Haines Medium: Pastel on archival Canson mi Tientes paper Size:  8x10 Unframed I was attracted to the gorgeous colors of the scene here and also liked the vertical light aspen trees against the parallel arrangement of bands of colors from the ground on up to the sky.

Tracy Haines original paintings art acrylics Colorado landscapes, mountains,trees,streams,snow

Title: Cool Lair Day Artist: Tracy Haines Medium: Acrylic on 140 lb heavy watercolor paper Size: 2 1/2 x 3 1/2  (Standard ACEO size) Spring is my favorite season for painting at Lair of the Bear in Colorado.  The golden yellow glowing willows seem to shout for pure joy against the melting snow. The streams run high and very blue this time of year: just a gorgeous array of colors for the painter!

Tracy Haines original art paintings in pastels,oils and acrylics colorful Colorado landscapes mountains sunsets affordable wall art for home

Title:  Beautiful for Spacious Skies

Artist: Tracy Haines

Medium: Pastel on sanded professional and archival Wallis paper mounted to foam core 

Size:  11x14  

Unframed

The colors of the landforms underneath the lovely night sky at dusk begged to be painted. This scene was found near our cabin in the Indian Mountain area near Como,  Colorado
The painting will be carefully sandwiched between two pieces of foam core, with glassine taped over the image.  The painting should be taken to a framer once you receive it and will need to be framed behind glass. I have shipped pastels in this manner without problems thus far.

Tracy Haines Colorado landscape fall foliage aspen mountains

Colorado Fall, 5x7 oil on canvas panel,  $ 35

One of my favorite things to do in the fall is ride my little motorcycle along the barren dirt roads near our cabin.  Often, campers have fires going. The crisp fall air combined with the smell of burning logs and pine tree is simply intoxicating. I break out in song as I ride. Can't help it.

Tracy Haines landscape art original impressionistic impressionists oil paintings colorful Colorado art

Tangles( EB123) is an 8x10 oil painting on masonite. 

I was shooting photos of my son, his date, and friends at a local park for homecoming pictures.  The light was great; I got distracted and started thinking as an artist, not a mom, to the consternation of son! ;) Got great pics and a nice painting though!

Tracy Haines Art,fine art,paintings,landscapes,mountains,snow,trees,Colorado,tonal painting ,original,modern contemporary art,

I really like this tonal scene from the mountains.  How on an overcast,snowy day all the values of the landscape close in and bundle up together, as we do, to stay warm.  Or perhaps  just to present a lovely , quiet scene for the landscape lovers pure, unadulterated enjoyment. But I am starting to wax poorly poetic again, so will stop writing and start painting.

Tracy haines fine art, paintings, oils, acrylics, pastels Coloful, Colorado landscapes,rivers, streams,mountains,trees, snow, affordable, wall art

Blue Streams is a small 5x7 acrylic on canvas panel study from Lair of the Bear. I am reworking a similar scene as a very large painting.  This study was a re-working of the larger first attempt- changing a few shapes and structures for a better over all design.

Painting en plein air at Lair of the Bear with several artists from PAAC, we were all challenged by changing light conditions.  This scene proved to be gorgeous in a variety of lighting.  It's very interesting how the major shapes drastically change depending on the light. Two other paintings of this same scene  but with overcast lighting will be posted soon.
This painting is currently up for bid on eBay.

Tracy haines Original fine art for sale affordable pastel oil acrylic paintings on canvas wall art impressionism expressionism colorful colorado trees flowers floral red green blue purple mountains streams skies sunsets

I ventured on a solo painting trip last fall.  Packed paints, dog and headed out in jeep.  I got up at dawn, drove from the cabin towards Buena Vista, then to a campsite on the Arkansas river.  I loved the first light.  Renoir ( Rennie) had a great time chasing off the cows that kept coming to see what I was painting.  This was the first of many paintings this day.  Great day!!!

Tracy haines Original fine art for sale affordable pastel oil acrylic paintings on canvas wall art impressionism expressionism colorful colorado trees flowers floral red green blue purple mountains streams skies sunsets

This is another ACEO art card; an acrylic and watercolor paper.  I will list some on my Etsy site as well.

I can't believe the blessing of living in Colorado.  It really seems I have been on a 16 year vacation.  The small cabin in the mountains was a great idea for us.   Many of my paintings have come from areas right around the cabin.  Just endless material.

Tracy haines Original fine art for sale affordable pastel oil acrylic paintings on canvas wall art impressionism expressionism colorful colorado trees flowers floral red green blue purple mountains streams skies sunsets

This is my first ACEO (art "trading card"). It is a 2 1/2x3 1/2" acrylic on 140lb watercolor paper.  Thought I would try this on eBay and see how things go.

 I start all my auctions at a dollar.  I am following the advise of an artist who did this. I hope to give it a year then re-evaluate things.