Last week I participated in Paint the Peninsula, a plein air painting competition based in Port Angeles, Washington. A juried group of 22 artists representing 11 states and two Canadian provinces were set loose to paint in oil, watercolor, pastel and acrylic this stunningly beautiful corner of the United States. It was a great honor to be accepted into this prestigious group and to debut ink and watercolor as a plein air medium.
Each plein air event is slightly different, but essentially artists are given a set number of days to produce work and bring it back to the exhibition venue for judging in a final show. In this event we were encouraged to bring our work in each night so that the public could see the walls blossom with art as the week progressed.
Our painting area was all of the north Olympic Peninsula. There’s a tremendous variety of wonderful subjects within this area so I planned destinations that included architecture, farm scenes, beaches, rivers, forests and boatyards. I put in long hours, leaving each morning about 7:30 in the morning and not returning until 8:30 or 9 in the evening. Here are some of my favorites from the week:
And one day, a friend took me to her farm near Joyce where there was the most spectacular old barn.
I drew this one during our 93% eclipse. The light softened, but the shadows remained the same.
The Port Townsend boatyard is a favorite spot to draw old work boats out for repair.
Tucker enjoyed this day too as he had a large fenced in area and another dog to play with. Most of the time I try to find spots where I can park my van near my drawing subject so that he can watch over me, yet not disturb my concentration. Caught him napping against the window one day though.
Love to Draw 
Great work as usual. I wentto Salt Creek Recreation area and spoke to many of the artists!
One day I’ll meet you in person!
Patti Paul
Thanks, Patty. I’m glad you got to see some of the artists in action. Look forward to meeting you!
Well Tucker plain got “tuckered” out! Thanks for sharing the drawings. Beautiful!
Thanks, Robyn.
That barn is particularly wonderful. Yours is such beautiful work.
Thanks so much. : )
Your work is marvellous, I think it’s great that aquarell is being appreciated again, as it should. You know what I mean. There are always those, who think oil and acrylic is more worth or so (at least Turner had the exact problem). You make it feel balanced in your art, I think. Does that make any sense at all?
Thanks for all your comments, Sue. Comments don’t show up until I approve them. : ) Ink and watercolor is a such a great combination with so many options. I paint in oil too but I’ve really been having fun drawing lately. Keep drawing!
Arr yes, right, I keep forgetting that! No, really great work. A joy to watch. I’m into drawing as well, apart from that, into acrylic, pastels and watercolor. Never had the opportunity to study art, though. Cheers!
And I like the ship a lot. I got ships in my page as well, and there will be more coming up throughout my current schedule of nice and artful morsels (looked up the word, I hope it fits and makes sense, the dirrty german that I am). Cheers
Oh, my other comment doesn’t show, and took me rather a long time to write it
Arr, it was something about Turner and watercolor having a hard time sometimes. But yours is balanced, something like that. Thanks for sharing!