Trains, Planes, Automobiles AND Boats!



"Solings Off Daingerfield Island" 9x12 oil on panel

      This morning I was back at one of my favorite locations to paint, Daingerfield Island/Washington Sailing Marina.  The location is just below Reagan National Airport on the Potomac.  You  can see the airport tower in the distance on the right hand side of the painting.  I was joined by two other members of the Art League Plein Air Painters (ALPAPs), Kim Stenberg and Richard Neff.  The morning was hot, humid and hazy but that made for lovely atmospheric conditions to paint!

     I keep different size wet paint carriers filled with four panels each so I am ready to grab one on any given day and get going.  Today I selected my 9x12 box and pulled out a panel that had been toned with a wash of alizarin crimson.  You can see parts of the underpainting peeking through.  I like that deep pink underpainting for a hazy day painting.  I was using my half box French plein air easel today so I could have worked much larger and rather regretted not taking one of my long 12x24 inch panels.  The reason being that with a longer format I could have inlcluded the Washington Monument and the Capitol Dome.  The lavender, rose, blue colors that were on the horizon line where those were located were very desirable for this painting.  You can see what I mean in the area around the ariport tower.  Next time...
       I was lucky to be there when a private sailing lesson was being given on one of the Marina's Solings.  The two boats pictured were actually the same boat practicing tacking maneuvers.  If I were really lucky one of the group classes might have been out but then there are plenty more opportunities this summer.

A visitor from Tennessee, Mike Morrisette stopped to chat
His brother Bob gets the photo credit:)

    There are other reasons I like painting here besides the many subjects to choose from. For one thing there are the sounds and activity.  The planes landing at Reagan are roaring overhead, I can hear the trains running on the other side of the George Washington Parkway, I can hear people talking and laughing on the terrace of Blue Indigo Restaurant and yet it grows quiet enough to hear the water lapping and the riggings on the boats jangling.
      If I were to sum this place up in one word it would be congenial.  I always end up meeting people and having pleasant conversations.  This morning I met the Morrisette brothers who were enjoying the views and were on their way to lunch at the restaurant.  It is always gratifiying when someone enjoys seeing me paint.  People just seem to like seeing an artist painting plein air and they are always so supportive!  I often tell artists who feel they will be uncomfortable painting in public that they will very soon change their mind.  They will receive smiles, thumbs up and meet some very nice folks. The painting doesn't have to be a masterpiece, people will appreciate the undertaking.
      Earlier a fisherman I have talked to before stopped by.  He said to me "you know, I don't really catch anything, I just like to be here".  I told him I understood and that I might not catch anything either but I would be back again anyway:)


Richard Neff at the easel planning his attack