Thursday, October 15, 2009

Whirlpool State Park Rapids

Standing up on the hill at Whirlpool State Park, looking up-river (which is south around here, the Niagara flows north) I painted this in a flash. It was a spectacular September Thursday morning & I had 90 minutes to waste/kill/wait. I raced over to meet other NFPAP painters in the park & concentrated on the rapids as the water rounds the bend before the whirlpool. 

I should have 90 spare minutes & a small prepared canvas on sunny warm days more often!

Whirlpool Rapids, oil 4x6 2009

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Buffalo's Old First Ward & Grain Elevators

shadows of ELevator Alley pastel Kath Schifano Kathy PaintingLast May, Niagara Frontier Plein Air Painters came to this site-grain elevators in south Buffalo, the Old First Ward. It was windy, cold, & unworldly for a May day. We returned to paint again in September-what a difference! Warm, no wind, relaxed. There is very little growing to change the view here, so the compositions were similar but with the sun a bit lower in the sky. Layers of unused industrial buildings create strong geometrics, while the sun quickly changes the shapes of shadows.

 It's called 'elevator alley', & the Buffalo tugboats are moored to the left of this scene. I have painted them with pastel as well. To the right is the river leading to the Ohio Street bridge and another massive collection of grain elevators-a subject for another day. Sharon Fundalinski & Peggy Walker have painted this scene many times with & without me & scheduled this paintout for us.
Shadows of Elevator Alley 9.5x12.5 pastel 2009

Monday, October 5, 2009

Buckhorn State Park

This 'bit of Buckhorn' was also judged into the Erie County Family Justice Center auction. I accidently arrived at Riverwood on a lovely Fall Monday afternoon last year.....during their weekly church service. Visiting Mary was out of the question then, so I hi-tailed it up the street for my own Church of the Woods meditation. The light was glorious, the yellows and oranges flickered, & leaves silently fluttered around me. Having art supplies in the car at all times has emotional & spiritual benefits. Went back to have our visit, refreshed & renewed, with a fresh wet painting in the car.
Buckhorn State Park is a never ending source for my painting.

As Good As Church, oil 14x11 2008