Susan Cheatham's plein air painting

Cassadys Easter Bird

2011-04-26T09:26:00.000-07:00

May is almost here. New painting season is starting.

2011-04-26T06:08:00.000-07:00

Just got back last week from a six month tour on Grace in the Florida Keys and beyond. I visited as many art galleries as I could, like 70+. Art is alive and well in Florida. I caught up with Mike Rooney, who was spending winter in Key West while I was there. Its a great place to paint and there are many plein air artists painting there as well. St. Augustines is worth a visit for art galeries as well as Vero beach, I have to say Miami at South Beach is more about fashion and people watching and art deco architecture. Our sister boat Jabaru, Aussies Peter and Gail went to Cuba and are now on the Yucatan Peninsula. As soon as we left them and turned our boat north instead of keep going south, we had to fight our way home. The weather windows were not good, the storms frequent, waves and current slowed us down. so I have to say i have experienced every wave from the Dry Tortugias to Oriental.

I took about 5,000 pictures so I will have a lot of material to work from. I did some painted in watercolors and gave a few lessons but this trip was really about sailing and cruising.Holly, my sheltie dog, stayed with me during all my watches.

I hope you will attend some or all of the lectures for Paint Wilmington which is happening now by nationally known artists. Tuesday and Wednesday are still open. I went yesterday to hear Tim Bell and Robert Isley . It was well worth the drive. Their combined enthusiasm was inspirational. David Leadman and Nancy Marshall at Walls Gallery are sponsoring these lectures at no cost to artists. The art and the quality of knowledge they possess are phenomenal weather you are an art buyer or an artist.

Here is a few tips from Robert and Tim:
Orange activates color, add yellow ocher and it makes a great tone for an under painting.
Use a big palette, the bigger the better.
They both recommend using split complements, and paint within the range of colors within the color triangle for color harmony and palette control.So that would mean using about seven colors for your palette and mixing paint from just those colors. You can also expand your colors from the seven if you need to. You will then be able to find your color preference. This will give you about 12 color arrangements.
Paint with the hips and shoulder for a straight line.
You stand on the shoulders of great painters. Be the most progressive modern painter.
In other words, find your voice and paint it.

FIRST PAINT OUT OF THE 2011 SEASON;
We will meet at Port City java for coffee at 9 am to gather our wits then head out to the Ghent district in New Bern and paint at Spencer and Second Avenue around 10 am
Happy Painting.
susan

Spring is here.Its time to paint.See you in the gardens.

2009-04-06T20:36:00.000-07:00

Daffodowndilly

By A.A. Milne

She wore her sun-bonnet,

She wore her greenest gown;

She turned to the south wind

And curtsied up and down.

She turned to the sunlight

And shook her yellow head,

And whispered toher neighbor:

'Winter is dead'.

- from When We Were Very Young

2009-01-05T15:00:00.000-08:00

Christmas Spirit Parade

2009-01-05T14:48:00.000-08:00

This was my first performance art piece. All you plein air painters try this, paint a painting while in a parade. I was painting the Christmas tree that was on the float and what was behind the float while moving, waving to people, and throwing candy to the kids along the parade route. Toni Leavitt was beside me doing the same thing , she is an abstract painter. I don't know why I look so calm. This goes in the category of extreme plein air painting.Glen Plake has nothing on me. Melinda Penkava took the picture from towndock.com

2009-01-05T14:38:00.000-08:00

Picture taken by George Hunter

2009-01-05T14:22:00.000-08:00

Painting the light before I loose it. I got the shadows in the water but the light was changing fast.

Southlake

2009-01-05T11:37:00.000-08:00

This is the last place the plein air painters painted for this season. It was so full of the fall color.

We were all freezing, the North wind was whipping through the trees. I stayed to finish the painting. John Hanley was there too working on his painting till the last.

2008-12-10T21:11:00.000-08:00

2008-12-10T21:06:00.001-08:00

Carolyn Rush came later

International Plein Air Paint Out New Bern

2008-12-10T20:21:00.000-08:00

Plein Air Painters who participated in the first New Bern International Day

Vickie Vitalie John Hanley Barbra Hespeth Norm Robins Art Tyndal Bernie Rosage Susan Cheatham

This day was so hot, I think it was near 100 degrees and we all painted in the Union Point Park.

Bernie painted the day before and we had a Tropical Storm. He is our Extreme Plen Air Painter.

This was our first gathering for the Paint Out but it was the sixth International Paint Out.

Fairfield Harbor Paint Out

2008-09-21T20:20:00.000-07:00

This Tuesday we all headed to an island off Fairfield Harbor to paint on George Hunters motor boat "Carolanne". The weather was stormy but no rain. John, Vickie,Captain George,Norm and I Had a great time. The sky had lots of silver and greys. One good thing it was cool for a change.

Tuesday Sept 8 Paint Out

2008-09-11T08:50:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from last Tuesday's Paint out at Lou Mac Park in Oriental, NC. These are pictures of John Hanley , Toni Leavitt and me painting clouds and architecture. These pictures were taken by Sue Henry, an Oriental Artist and member of out paint out group.