Painting the Parks & Gardens

It's called painting en plein air.   For years most of us artists called it "painting outdoors."  Which ever term you run into it pretty much means the same thing.  You paint what you see outside. I have avoided it for any years because of the wacky weather in Florida -- usually brutally hot and humid, with cold, windy, pollen-filled winters.  But I decided to brave the elements and armed with allergy pills, nasal spray, bug spray (oh yes the no-seeims love me) tissues, and SFP 60 sunscreen I am bravely going where I have not gone before -- outside to paint in our local parks and gardens.

A recent session at the beautiful Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Gardens in Winter Park was a perfect setting to create a lovely painting.

"Mermaid/Mermaid Mama Albin Polasek Aluminum Sculpture"
Plein Air watercolor on paper
Krys Pettit

Hot and humid is where we are already in Central Florida and I find my paper and paint dry out a lot faster than I would like.  This session didn't work out like I planned. Working outside is almost like learning about the craft of watercolor all over again after 20 plus years in the studio.

 I have company when I work outside -- although I think these little guys were interested in learning to swim more than watching me paint.

"Lake Lily Park - Maitland Florida'
Plein air watercolor on paper
Krys Pettit

We are fortunate to have the beautiful Leu Gardens complex in Orlando.  But sometimes the big gardens can be overwhelming. This serene tree and landscape were just perfect for me to tackle while working at Leu Gardens earlier this week.

I'll take a table and chair anywhere I can get it!

"Serene Oak and Palms"
Leu Gardens, Orlando Florida
Plein air watercolor
Krys Pettit

I find there is a tremendous amount of green in this area and it can be a challenge to capture it all  -- I miss the landscapes that I saw in Arizona and New Mexico.  But I have a few places on the Central Florida area I will be visiting in the coming weeks with interesting buildings that I look forward to painting.

Follow me on Facebook to see where I will be painting next in the Central Florida area -- and beyond!  Liking and sharing is always appreciated.
Krys Pettit - Painting Moments of Color and Light

You can always check out some of my larger studio pieces at my website:
KRYS PETTIT - ARTIST

Evolution of a Window

"Forgotten Window - Casa Feliz"
Watercolor by Krys Pettit
15" High x 11" Wide
Available for Purchase

When I am working on a painting I get involved -- so much so I don't have a feeling for what time it is.  I look up and two hours have flown by.  Often I regret not taking images of the progression of the painting and I am working on being more mindful of capturing the journey of what I do.  I wanted to share with you a few of the steps it took to create my latest in my window series, "Forgotten Window" (Casa Feliz).

The original shot was taken over a year ago at the beautiful Casa Feliz Historic House in Winter Park, Florida.  I tend to look for the small, quiet corners of beautiful buildings, the little forgotten places that add to the overall beauty of a location.  This window with the strong shadows really spoke to me.

Sometimes I paint from photo references from my iPads (I have 2--don't ask), an actual photo I took (old school is often the best), or in this case I printed out the image.  I have it set up with the beginnings of the piece on my drafting table with my favorite watercolor palette ready to go.

Watercolor is a transparent media -- meaning the white of the paper comes through and gives a piece beautiful luminescence.  It is a challenge me to keep the white in because I am a slave to colors, the deeper and darker the better.  But I held off and worked hard on keeping this piece fresh by laying in gentle washes here and there and preserving the glow from the white of the paper.

I love windows and have a special color combination I use to get the darks in this one:  a red with cool tones, a deep luscious magenta, and a burnt Sienna brown.  I mix on the paper as much as possible, wetting the paper so the color can explode in those wet areas.

At this stage the piece looked good but not dramatic enough.  I have to step away for a while, grab a coffee, check in with my husband, and clear my mind.  After that I realized I needed to add darker shadows under the window, pump up those window panes, and add some cast shadows around the building.

Here is the finished piece -- took about 2 hours.  I decided to stop here.  I have a tendency to overwork my paintings when they are at their best.  It takes discipline to listen to that voice in your head that gently says, "Stop ALREADY!! It's done."

If you like my art and want to see more of my paintings of windows, doors and gates, please visit my website, Krys Pettit - Artist.  I always love when people visit and share my art and I invite you to check it out.

Krys Pettit Artist -- Doors, Windows and Gates