Among The Roses - A Plein Air Floral by Southern California Artist Marian Fortunati

Among The Roses © Marian Fortunati 10"x8" Oil on linen
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Every month I look forward to the monthly paint-out of the Ventura / Malibu Chapter of the California Art Club.   It's always a way to get out .. sometimes to a new site ... sometimes to a familiar one.  It's a great way to connect with other artists and learn about their art and aspirations.   Artists of all levels and a variety of media participate... it's great!  If you don't have a local group of painters to join, I highly encourage you to form one of your own... and invite strangers.

A week ago last Wednesday was such a day.   I have been SOOOO busy lately... Meetings, paint-outs, multiple-show deadlines, and a painting trip all piled on top on each other, I never got a chance to blog about the day.   So here goes.

I know the weather in Southern California is something to luxuriate in.   Usually it's clear...  We almost NEVER have snow and we rarely have rain.  We often have blistering hot summers, but our falls are usually relatively pleasant.   Wednesday was NOT such a day.  It was a cool day of FOG.   What is referred to as "low-level clouds" or a "low-pressure marine layer" totally grayed out the day.   My friend, Sharon Weaver, and I had planned to drive out to King Gillette Ranch, our meeting place, together.   I almost didn't go, but I really wanted to paint.  Now Sharon is a person who can paint anywhere, anytime and almost always comes up with something wonderful.  Not ME.  However, when we got there, the place Sharon had planned to paint... a row of trees disappearing into the distant fog, was blocked off with construction work.   Hey!... that's part of the joy and the challenge of plein air, isn't it?   Kinda like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates... "You never know what you're going to get."

	My "spot"

We both scouted around to find our "spot".   Sharon ended up painting a gorgeous painting of the fog as it lifted over the distant hills.   I decided to cozy up inside a bed of roses to get a more intimate view.   I've really been trying not to paint the usual post card scenes that I most often go for.   I know I like them, but I've challenged myself to try for a different look now and then, so I settled in with the roses.  (Hoping I didn't move the wrong way and bleed out from thorn wounds.)  All went well and I was fairly happy with my painting, too.   (You can see in the photo how the weather had cleared by the time we broke for lunch.   What we started with was NOT what we ended with.)

We all broke for lunch and it was great exchanging experiences and information with new friends and old friends.   Many thanks to the CAC and to George Malone, who organizes these monthly paint outs for Chapter Chair, Sharon Burkett Kaiser and the CAC.

 

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