A division of space

New stuff for the holidays! Merry Christmas Everyone!

2011-12-20T18:40:00.000-08:00

Article: Sometimes the World Acknowledges your Work...Door County Pulse!

2011-10-31T08:47:00.000-07:00

Thank you Door County Pulse and Randy Rasmussen!

Q &A – Questions and Artists – Wendie Thompson




	"Selfless Abandon" by Wendie Thompson

October 28, 2011

The Peninsula Pulse has teamed up with the Door County Art League (DCAL) to reprint portions of interviews conducted by Randy Rasmussen with various artists. To sign up for DCAL’s monthly newsletter or for more information visitwww.doorcountyartleague.org.

Wendie Thompson is president of the Wisconsin Plein Air Painters Association, the largest group dedicated to supporting plein ar painting in Wisconsin. Thompson is an avid and accomplished plein air painter and this year painted in and photographed the Peninsula School of Art’s Plein Air Festival.

Randy Rasmussen (RR): What motivated you to begin painting?

Wendie Thompson (WT): My husband, Brent who is an accomplished painter himself has encouraged me and the thought that I may just be able to leave something of value on this planet when I am gone (a sense of purpose).

RR: What is your background in art?

WT: No formal art education but I have been exposed to art of all kinds as a professional custom picture framer since high school. I have always had a wild creative side, and when I learned to paint I studied everything I could find and still am.




Painting by Wendie Thompson

RR: Who was influential in your development?

WT: First is my Creator who is my constant motivator. Then my instructor of many years, Lorin Willey, my husband Brent, Ken Auster, Tom Nachreiner and Dreama Tolle Perry together with her partner Leslie Byrd Saeta have all influenced me

RR: When did you become interested in plein air?

WT: Soon after I began to paint with Lorin Willey (2003?) he insisted that we get outdoors to paint. My first outing was at Lapham Peak State Park in the springtime. I recall it being very buggy as I set up along a path…quiet set in and as I painted a deer crossed no more than 10 feet from me…stopped and sized me up for a few seconds and bounded off. I was hooked immediately!

RR: How has your painting changed over the last 10 years?

WT: My first goal with each new canvas is to learn something. I try to paint everyday, as this is when I learn the most and because of this I think my work has taken on a more painterly look, perhaps has become fresher, less rendering…more painting.

RR: Do you enjoy being the president of the Wisconsin Plein Air Painters Association?




	Wendie Thompson paints in Beloit.

WT: Yes! I have heard that getting artists to move together in one direction can be like “herding butterflies.” But I am thrilled with where this genre has come in the last few years in Wisconsin.

RR: What is the most important thing you have learned as a painter in the last 10 years?

WT: I think the most important thing I have learned is to focus on learning instead of making a perfect painting. I think this one thing has freed me and given me a sense of adventure and joy when staring down a new canvas. I have seen many promising students of art quit because of perfectionism.

RR: How would you describe your work?

WT: Impressionistic…I love it most when pieces of color come together on a canvas to create form and evoke feelings of joy, peace or serenity.

RR: Do you have a favorite event to paint in?

WT: I love any event where the art is honored as well as the artists. Artists have a tendency to seclude themselves away for big chunks of time. Plein air competitions give great opportunity to make friends, help each other grow and push you to become better.

RR: What do you see as the future of plein air in the Midwest?

WT: There is a renaissance occurring in plein air all around the country. Collectors are catching on to the beauty, immediacy and freshness of a plein air work. In the way the California and Indiana artists have created a history in this kind of work, artists from novices to experts are documenting the changing surface of the Midwest from cityscape to waterscape and from the rural landscape to a back yard garden. It makes me tingle with excitement just to think about it!

Since retiring from his career in chiropractic medicine, Randy Rasmussen has pursued his art with unmitigated passion. He conducts interviews for the Door County Art League, paints three times a week, almost entirely plein air, and is a charter member of the Peninsula Plein Air Painters. His work can be seen at www.doorcountyartsgallery.com.

http://www.ppulse.com/Articles-Art-Features-c-2011-10-26-99499.114136-Q-andA-Questions-and-Artists-Wendie-Thompson.html

sCary aRT Show 2011: My submissions!

2011-10-19T15:13:00.000-07:00

Garlic 12x12 oil

Silver Buletts 16x8

Pie Face 18x18 oil

This is the third annual sCary aRT sHOw at the Raven Gallery in Pewaukee. Join my for a costume Halloween party and Artists reception on October 29th 6-9pm!

Sun Buckets and the Value of Critique

2011-08-29T15:20:00.000-07:00

Sun Buckets

12x12 oil (Plein Air)

So Saturday I met with some of my group, the Wisconsin Plein Air Painters Association, to paint at the Southshore Park Farmers Market which is right on Lake Michigan. While the East cost was hunkering down for hurricane Irene here in the Mid-west we have been enjoying the stalled high that the hurricane provided. It was a stunningly beautiful day in the mid 70's and breezy.

As I walked the area which was streaming with people and vendors all I could think was "simplify, simplify, simplify! But I kept returning to this flower lady and her buckets of sunflowers with the morning light causing them to glow. I started to paint fast! In 2 hours all those flowers were gone...sold! Then I turned my effort to work on the tent which rapidly became muddy. If I brightened it to show the sun on it it pulled my eye away from the focal point. But when I cooled it down it seemed dead. I was frustrated.

After we painted we met as is our habit, to critique each others work. When it came time for mine we talked about the tent and one of my friends suggested that I change the color of the tent to blue. I liked that idea and it took me all of ten minutes to change it. You can see the painting before the change in the photo below.

Lesson: At some point in the painting process I need to be more concerned about making a painting then just copying what I see in front of me...:)

Door County 2011: Dockside Quick Paint and A Picket Fence

2011-07-29T10:06:00.000-07:00

Bee Balm and Honeysuckle
8x10 oil
$250

Picket Fence
8x8 oil
$200

Happy Dance! "Rainy Day Blue" gets the Blue Ribbon!!

2011-06-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

"Rainy Day Blue"

10x8 oil

I feel so honored to have won 1st place in the Riveredge Portion of the Cedarburg Plein Air Competition 2011. This was a new one day paint out at the beautiful Riveredge Nature Center in Saukville, WI. Even though it rained all day there I was able to find some shelter under a deck to paint this view of one of their classroom buildings. I was taken by all the blue in the atmosphere with the rain as it did some really interesting things to the light. Thanks to the Riveredge staff for opening up their place to all of the artists and for the great lunch!! (http://riveredge.us/)

Cedarburg 2011, Painting in the Rain and some Tough Choices

2011-06-23T08:01:00.000-07:00

"Selfless Abandon"
12x16 oil

"Morning Meditation"
12x16 oil

The 11th annual Cedarburg Plein Air Competition was held this past 8 days and I need to tell you it is at the top of my fun list every summer. With over 150 artists attending this open competition there is always plenty of great social time as well as some serious painting. Normally I would paint 8-10 pieces and then pick my best two for entry in the competition. However this year I had a family wedding to attend which required missing 3 days right out of the middle! (all worth it mind you.)

The event kicked off with something new this year...one day of painting at a beautiful nature reserve (Riveredge in Saukville). It was a very rainy day and I had to leave at 1pm. I found a great spot under a deck to paint. I always keep some small plastic tarps in my paint bag so I laid it out on the deck above held down with some well placed rocks and voila...dry space! There will be separate awards for this portion of the event . The staff there was extremely warm and fed us all a wonderful lunch. All the pieces need to be 8x10. Here is my piece:

Rainy Day Blue
8x10 oil

The second day (Thursday) was the start of the 7 day painting window and looked to be the best weather for me anyway and as I had to leave on my trip Friday I was anxious to at least get a few good starts. My friend Judith Reidy and I spent much of the day together. In the morning we painted in Horn Park, a delightful place along the river that I had painted in before. "Morning Meditation" (above) is what became of my effort and I have submitted it as one of my 2 competition pieces.

Untitled
20x10 oil

We found a beautiful farm to paint in the afternoon. I was tired and don't feel quite resolved with this painting but the weather has not been the same since and so it will have to wait to be finished for another day.Then it was off to southern Indiana on Friday for the wedding and back on Sunday. I missed the quick paint which is one of my favorite things to do...poor me...:) This coming Saturday there is one more chance for an award as we have from 8-2pm to "Paint the Festival". With an expected 50,000 people in attendance painting Cedarburg's Strawberry Festival will bring it's own challenges. At least ideal weather is in the forecast! Also all the works will be sold by silent auction (ends promptly at 4pm) at the Cedarburg Cultural Community Center this coming Saturday...you should come!

On Monday I was very tired and achy from the trip (fibro is not my friend), it was raining and looked like it might do that for the rest of the week and I admit I had to wrestle with myself to get down to it. I made a decision to paint in solitude as I knew I would be distracted by a friend. So I drove around Cedarburg looking for the next inspiration. It came in the form of a bunch of Dahlias at the Steins garden tent on Western. I was able to back my car up to them and open the hatch to sit. That and both my umbrellas kept me somewhat dry and a little uncomfortable. But the Dahlias spoke to me...there they were, outrageous in their bounty and beauty...rain spilling off their petals...some heads bowed. They cared not who saw their performance...their effort of extravagant praise. They gave all in utter abandon...I watched, cut to the quick with the lesson I was seeing unfold before me. My response is the painting at the top of this post and my second entry, entitled "Selfless Abandon"...I hope I've done them some small justice.

Green Lake, Beloit and Pie Night (The value of Critique)

2011-06-13T07:42:00.000-07:00

It's been a whirlwind couple of weeks as we have begun the Plein air competition season in Wisconsin in earnest. A new and delightful one day event (in spite of some rain) was held in charming Green Lake WI. A resort community about an hour and a half drive from me...it boasts some unmatched scenery and a charming downtown area. My hubby came with me much to my delight and read and played his guitar while I painted. I spotted the small Historical Society building and decided to further hone my architectural prowess (or lack thereof) with a small 10x8...here is my result:

Historical Society, Green Lake

10x8 oil

Then it began to pour and so I tucked myself and my easel up under the porch of this building and painted the apple tree just behind. Time was pressing so I got out my trusty palette knife and went to work. I am very happy with the results:

Apple Tree at the Historical Society, Green Lake

oil 12x12

For a short time yet both of these paintings can be seen at Margaret York's beautiful Gallery called Arts of Daycholah (http://www.guidetogreenlake.com/business/listing/business/20840940/Arts-Of-Daycholah-Gallery)

Then it was on to prepping for the Beloit plein air Competition called Edge of the Rock. Located an hour and a half drive southwest from me it is located along the Rock river and while the painting area is small and confined mostly to the renovated riverfront it was a great event! My friend Judith Reidy and I went together on Sunday just as mid August style heat set in! Wow...we went from 56 degrees when we left my house early in the morning to 99 and steamy on the way home as the sun went down. There was a new area inside the Beloit College that we were allowed to paint in so we headed there first and stayed most of the morning. I painted this:

Middle College

12x16 oil

After some lunch and some much needed cooling off at a great local coffee place we headed back to the riverfront/lagoon area. We were seeking a location to paint in the shade with a great view as the temperature was ramping up fast! I noted a spot with some irises and a bridge over to the small island but kept on looking when Judith pulled me back over there and said I should paint that. She thought it looked like a good "Wendie" painting. So we set up there and I started. A mom and hers kids stopped to look and the daughter helped me name it ...Path to Turtle Island. I was very happy with the result of this piece and sold it to a wonderful couple at the opening a few days later!

Path to Turtle Island

12x12 oil SOLD

Judith and I went back again on Monday. The heat and the wind were so bad that all I produced was a "wiper" but Judith got a good start on a lovely painting!

Then last night Judith hosted her first "Pie Conversation Party" of the season when a group of mostly artists and musicians gathered to talk "shop". Lively critique of work ensued. Used to be I would be very intimidated by this activity...especially around a group of highly educated artists as I have no "formal" art education. However, I have learned to really value the measured (even sometimes harsh) commentary of my peers as I listen to what they believe would make my work and others stronger. I take what they say and ask myself if that would fit into my personal aesthetic/style/message. I have learned to bring a "take what you like and leave the rest" attitude as wearing that kind of armor prevents me from being bruised and blooded past the point of return. I learn...and that is worth it!

Cherries and Tea: The large and small of it!

2011-06-02T11:06:00.000-07:00

Cherries and Tea

12x12 oil

$350

Cherries and Tea

6x6 oil

$125

New Harmony: IPAPA First Brush of Spring 2011!!

2011-04-18T07:33:00.000-07:00

6x6 oil

7x5 oil

8x6 oil

12x16 oil Greenhouse (New Harmony IN)

What a wild week it has been! Off last Friday to New Harmony Indiana for the Indiana Plein Air Painters Assoc. event titled The First Brush of Spring. Each year a small army of artists from around the country descend on this small ( about 12 square blocks) , quaint, fabulously beautiful, antique historical town just as spring is unfolding. I understand there were over 150 artist there this year! Each year...this was my 6th...I have gone I have felt like a little bitty baby artist because the quality of the work is so stunning. Collectors come from far and wide to purchase works as the word is out about the sheer quality of the pieces! It pushes me hard all year to improve so as to be competitive some day. I determined to paint every day this year and that I think, has made a world of difference.

While I did not win any awards this year I felt much more competitive and I sold 7 pieces of art! The one of the greenhouse is going to hang in the towns bed and breakfast...I am sooooo honored!I will post the rest of the pieces I did soon!

Now this is Exciting: 6" Squared

2011-03-25T09:37:00.000-07:00

I am soooo excited and honored! These two pieces have been chosen out of 1200 to participate in the second 6" Squared show, sale and competition at the Randy Higbee (aka King of Frames) Gallery in Costa Mesa CA. Birthed on Facebook the first of these events (held in Dec 2010) brought an absolutely amazing body of work together from around the globe and savey collectors flocked to the show. All the works are 6"x6"...no exceptions. I have learned to love working in this format as it offers some exciting compositional challenges...Wish me luck!

The Event:

The Randy Higbee Gallery is hosting the second 6" Squared Exhibition and Sale. Once again, we will bring Nationally acclaimed traditional representational artists to a spectacular venue in Orange County, California. A Gala Artists' Reception will be held Saturday, April 16. The show will run through May 6th.

Click here for more info!!: 6" Squared Exhibition and Sale: Spring 2011

Silly me...I forgot to tell you...

2011-03-24T08:07:00.000-07:00

Hey all...I have been neglecting you...I'm so sorry. For over 6 weeks I was away from home in Florida and I came back renewed and refreshed. Also full of new art ideas. I decided to work in a series as I just fell in love with the Florida birds. Below you will find the link to the blog I created for this purpose so if you've been missing me you can also follow me here! THANKS for your support of my art!...Wendie

Feather and Brush...my new blog

Square 39: New Harmony Waif

2011-01-19T17:37:00.000-08:00

6x6 pastel $100

This child played hide and seek with my camera for just a few brief minutes...I fell in love!

Square #38 Wandering the Creek Bed (Oil 6x6)

2011-01-13T12:42:00.000-08:00

For some reason this image makes me think about the immigration debate in our country. Desperate people trying to get into America and desperate people trying to keep their homes and families safe from drugs and violence. there are no easy answers...and so my three young ones wander the Creek Bed afraid of what is behind and afraid of what may lie ahead.

Square 37: 6x6 Pastel Study for oil...Creek Bed

2011-01-12T17:31:00.000-08:00

I can close my eyes and still see these three young girls walking the creek bed on a hot summers evening. I was working out some compositional things and color with this pastel. Really looking forward to painting it in oil!!

Square #36: Garden Grace

2011-01-10T13:39:00.000-08:00

6x6 oil $100 unframed

Square 34: Sundrops

2011-01-07T20:37:00.000-08:00

6x6 pastel $100 unframed

Squares 33 and 34 Winter and some Sunlit Dogwoods!6x66

2011-01-06T06:23:00.000-08:00

6x6 oil $100 unframed and shipped
Sold

6x6 oil $100 unframed and shipped

Ahhhhh....Plein Air: Square #32 and and Orange Tree!

2010-12-29T15:38:00.000-08:00

Square #32 6x6 oil (plein air)
$100 unframed

Winter's Orange 8x6 oil (plein air)
Sold

Square 31: Painting in my car, Impossible Beauty and 3 Pheasants!!

2010-12-17T11:26:00.000-08:00

Square 31 6x6 oil (Plein Air)

SOLD

So thanks to my Facebook friend Lawrence Chrapliwy who encouraged me to paint in my car and having already bought a wooden box to do just that...today I hopped in my car and drove down one of my favorite country roads not far from my home.

Stunning beauty abounds and I drove about 15 mph snapping photos when 3 pheasants hopped across the road right in front of me!! I lifted my camera to snap and...bam...out of batteries. I never go anywhere with out them so as I am fumbling to find them.... thinking I have surly missed the opportunity...they disappeared into the wooded area just off the roadside. I thought ...oh well...at least I saw them...so I drove ahead and turned around about a mile down the road. But as I came back they had appeared again! I stopped about 10 feet from them ...dropped my window and for the next 20 minutes or so these three beauties posed for me! Then they had had enough and off they went...magical!

So I continued to a small clearing in the snow I had eyed up before. It was a big problem trying to simplify the incredible sights everywhere around me...I got out the box...set up and started to paint. It was 18 degrees out and sunny so I opened my window and turned off the car...silence...me, paint and sparkling snow. I will defiantly be doing this again!

A word about my "box"...it is a old wine box (12"x10"x3 1/2) found at Goodwill for 2 bucks and the lid will accommodate an 8x10. It fits on my lap in the drivers seat as long as the seat is all the way back and when open the lid rests on the steering wheel. My friends at Ace Hardware were kind enough to fit it with a piece of plexi which I clipped a hinged paper clip from so I could remove it easily. I glued 4 small blocks in the corners under the plexi creating a small space which I can fit tubes of paint, brushes, a view finder, a scraper, and some paper towels. I put my turp in my cup holder. No doubt I will be rigging this further now that I know it will work.

Ok so here's the big question for all my plein air friends (some real purists in the bunch) ...If I painted in my car is it still considered plein air? If I had the window down so nothing was impeding my view? And what if I didn't.....what's your opinion?

Squares 28, 29, and 30!

2010-12-13T17:39:00.000-08:00

Square #30
6x6 oil $100 unframed
Sold

Square # 28
6x6 oil $100

Square #29
6x6 oil $100

Busy day...:)

Square #27 Hoarfrost

2010-12-10T16:20:00.000-08:00

Square #27 Hoarfrost
6x6 oil $100

Squares #23 and #24: Painting snow in the snow! Lesson's...

2010-12-04T09:25:00.000-08:00

1. It is possible to dress too warm.
2. Oil paint can become frozen giving it an almost granular texture.
3. Paint fast!
4. Pack light.
5. I have fingerless mittens that I buttoned back and stuffed with hand warmers...toasty fingers.

Square 23 6x6 oil $100 unframed

Square 24 6x6 oil $100 unframed

5. Be prepared to feel an invigorating, accomplished, joyful feeling!!! I am SO blest!

Square #22 : A Winter Walk through the Dolomites, Italy

2010-12-03T13:48:00.000-08:00

6x6 0il
$100 unframed

Squares 20 and 21: A Pair of Pears

2010-11-30T13:09:00.000-08:00

6x6 oil (#20)

6x6 oil (#21)

Just in time for Christmas: 20% off my Prints!!!

2010-11-28T15:14:00.000-08:00

As my Christmas gift to you I am offering a 20% discount on prints of my work through Fine Art America. Use coupon code GKYRSR when ordering! Just click on the link below to get started!!!

http://wendie-thompson.artistwebsites.com/

Happy Holidays to all!!!

So Totally Pumped! These two pieces accepted in Randy Higbee's 6 Squared Show!!!

2010-11-22T19:37:00.000-08:00

Soooo...off to Costa Mesa CA for these two little 6x6 inch oil pieces. They will be shown in some amazing company for sure! (http://www.randyhigbeegallery.com/Home.html) Opening night December 4th...show hangs till December 23rd...be there and get squared!!!

Squares #18 and #19

2010-11-18T14:40:00.000-08:00

6x6 and oil

Square #17

2010-11-10T12:25:00.000-08:00

6x6 oil

Today's Square:#16 The Hunters

2010-11-09T19:47:00.000-08:00

6x6 oil

Squares #14 and #15: A landscape and a Daisy

2010-11-08T18:31:00.000-08:00

6x6 oil

Squares 12 and 13 (Sunflowers and a Rose)

2010-11-06T10:51:00.000-07:00

SOLD

6x6 oil

Squares #10 and #11

2010-11-04T14:17:00.000-07:00

6x6 oil

Today's Square #9

2010-11-03T09:55:00.001-07:00

6x6 oil

Today's Square 6x6 oil

2010-10-28T11:17:00.001-07:00

Today's Squares

2010-10-27T16:19:00.000-07:00

3 New 6"x6" all oils.

4 Squares

2010-10-25T14:58:00.000-07:00

All 6"x6" and done in about 60 minutes each...the 6x6 oil challenge begins!

Productive Day in Plymouth!

2010-09-30T17:04:00.000-07:00

After an beautiful early morning drive to the Plymouth Plein Air Competition I arrived about an hour after planned.. I evidently took the long way but I didn't mind it was an incredible autumn morning! Here's my days work!! Quick paint on Saturday!!

Watertower 12x16 oil

The Witches House 12x12 oil

Legion's Roses 7x5 oil

Pewaukee Classic Boat Show and Plein Air Competition Day 1

2010-08-20T15:44:00.000-07:00

I had a good painting day today... got these two done. It was hot, sticky and windy with some scary storms coming through about 5pm...I got out of there first! Tomorrow the Cris Craft Boats come about 40 of them...I can't wait!

The Other Side of the Tracks 16x12 oil

Pewaukee Island 20x10 oil

Mid Summers Brush, Oconomowoc's Plein Air Competition 2010

2010-08-09T18:24:00.000-07:00

"The Old Launch" 20x16 oil

Zion II 20x10 oil

Before the Rain 12x16 oil

Elm Grove, plein air and Business cards!

2010-07-28T12:10:00.000-07:00

"Elm Grove Rush" 10x20 oil

Flooded Path 12x12 oil

I went twice this week to the beautiful community park in Elm Grove WI to paint. Saturday Morning I painted with Anthony Sell after it had flooded in the area for three days and the forecast was a morning full of the same. However, although the sky looked very threatening, not one drop fell and we painted till noon. The community has planted prairie flowers all around the area which were proliferating... black eyed susan, purple cone, queen Anne's lace and more. Aginst the dark sky it was incredible.

Then in sunny skies I went back again Monday Evening to paint with Judith Reidy....very different light and just as stunning...I can't seem to get enough.

It seems that I will never learn...I forgot my business cards and postcards again...I wonder how many patron opportunity's I have missed as a result of this when painting outdoors! People love to watch you paint and I have learned that they like to purchase from artist's they know...I must get better at this!!!!

Starting August 7th and ending on Aug 14th I will be participating in Mid Summers Brush, Oconomowoc's Plein Air Competition. Come out and watch as Artists paint and then bid on the work generated from Friday evening through Sat. afternoon. Followed by a street dance...it should be a world of fun!!

All the Trees of the Field shall clap their Hands!

2010-07-19T06:09:00.001-07:00

"You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands." Isaiah 55:12

Trees Clapping II 12x12 oil

Trees Clapping I oil 12x16

Ok... so at about 5:15 this morning I opened one eye and saw such a beautiful misty morning I couldn't believe it! I rarely bolt out of bed but that is what I did indeed! The field across the street from my house was sure to be incredible as the sun came up and burned through the fog. I dressed quickly against the mosquitoes that I was sure would be breakfast hungry... grabbed my cart and raced across the street. The bottom picture is what it looked like when I first got there. The 3rd from the top what it looked like about 45 minutes later...what an incredible change! It was still so beautiful I decided to try for one more before full out sun. I dashed back to the house for my needed umbrella...set it up and worked on the second one...very different light! I am writing this at about 8:15 after I have made coffee , downloaded the photos and lit up the computer so you get some idea of how fast these went. I am content!

Wauwatosa: 2010

2010-07-13T20:13:00.001-07:00

Monarch Trail 12x16 oil

Trailers and Tracks 20x10 oil

Little Red Store 16x12 oil

So I started painting about 9 am today. Beautiful day...not too hot, sunny and breezy. I painted till about 3pm and then had a great lunch with a good artist friend. I was tired but still wanted to paint so I drove out to an area I had spotted a few days before and set up. It was 7:30 before I looked at my watch again....I'm a little tired! (it was worth it!)

Quick paint: Wauwatosa 2010

2010-07-12T13:09:00.001-07:00

"Finished" 8x10 oil (quick paint: Wauwatosa Plein Air Competition)

Got out the driveway early to Tosa as I knew it was going to be a steamy day and I wanted to get the morning light. Scouting the morning before I found this view. I loved the way the sunlight fell through the trees and landed on these yellow umbrella's. I may just do a larger version for the regular competition!

Lunch on the Rocks: Some thoughts on Plein Air Competitions

2010-06-28T05:33:00.000-07:00

"Lunch on the Rocks"

12x12 oil Available $250

Cedarburg 2010 is officially over. Saturday at 8am (after 10 painting and traveling back and forth days) I knew I had spent the last of my energy when I could not even think about standing in the middle of 100,000+ people attending Strawberry Festival on a steamy hot morning and "painting the festival". So I did the next best thing...I purchased a carton of strawberries and found a somewhat quieter shaded spot and proceeded to paint what ended up being my lunch. Our paintings needed to be turned in at 2pm and the awards ceremony was a 5pm. There was no place to really rest in between. I attempted to go out to dinner with some wonderful friends but this "fibro" girl ran smack into a wall of exhaustion. Home I went...in bed by 10pm...up at 10am...checked e-mail, ate breakfast and back to bed for 2 hours after which (beginning to feel human again) I had to drive back to Cedarburg (about a 35 minute drive) to pick up my unsold work.

I have been struggling to get reacquainted with my oil paints after a winter of pastels and I finally felt some things coming together this week...much to my relief. I was somewhat pleased with my over all results in painting. Some painters I trust had good stuff to say about my work and I truly hope they were not just being nice. Ken Auster who's workshop I have taken says "You are good when your peers say your good". I like that...as a gauge. And although I did not sell a thing or take home any awards and I will probably pay physically for this week...It was all still very worth it! For me nothing beats painting in the open air with a bunch of truly great artists whom I respect and the challenge of capturing what I see before me on a blank canvas!

Have palette knife will travel!!

Cedarburg: 7 paintings, 4 Frame-able, only two for the competition!

2010-06-23T11:54:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful week we have had in Cedarburg and it's not over yet. I have painted a lot and now I have to decide which two to submit....so here they are...what do you think??

"Refuge" Cedarburg "Quick Paint" 2010

2010-06-19T15:33:00.001-07:00

"Refuge"

8x10 oil

Cedarburg Plein Air Competition: Quick Paint

2 1/2 hours from the time your canvas is stamped to turn it in framed and wired...no pressure or anything!

4 inches: The space between 2 mediums!!

2010-06-07T19:35:00.000-07:00

Ok so, a few days ago I painted this in Beloit. (plus 4" at the bottom...see the post before with the similar title) I could not figure out why I was unhappy with it then it occurred to me that the bottom with the bench was totally distracting......ssoooooo....I took out the bench and literally cut off 4 inches of board at the bottom. I like it a lot better...how about you???

Today's Plein air Painting: Beloit WI

2010-06-07T19:28:00.000-07:00

Today's Plein air painting: Rooted at the Rock 16x12 oil

It's hard to show the scale of this tree. It's roots were holding on to the edge of the Rock River like nothing I'd ever seen. I was told that people take a lot of wedding photos there. What a fun task to paint this old snarled tree!

Today's plein air Painting!

2010-06-05T09:12:00.000-07:00

Today's painting...."Old and New" 8x10 oil on panel

by Wendie Thompson (plein air) Available $75

The space between two mediums: How big is it really???

2010-06-04T10:18:00.000-07:00

As predominantly an oil painter, I switched to a new medium for the entire winter...pastel. I greatly enjoyed this and have learned a great deal (mostly about optical color) from doing it. However, I have not been able to get comfortable with doing pastels plein air which is my big passion....soooooo I have gone back to my oils and just feel like I need to say ahhhhhhhhhhhhgh!

Ok...so I'm a little frustrated! Here is a work in progress which I wiped off my canvas 3 times yesterday. That is not normally a good sign. After the 3rd time I finally got to where I felt things were going in a direction I liked but oh man....Anyone else experienced this? Any suggestions?

A quiet day, a new pastel and acceptance into the Oil Painters of America!!!

2010-05-21T19:09:00.000-07:00

Today I worked at the Griffin Gallery Fine Art in Oconomowoc WI. It is a co-owned Gallery with many fine artists. It was relatively quiet there today with the exception of 3 serious lookers on missions to find the "right piece" for their various projects. So I got to catch up with my computer and paint. Here is my fruit: "Two for the Pond" 12x12 pastel.

Then when checking the mail as I got home I found an acceptance letter to the Oil Painters of America....Man...am I jazzed about that!! All in all a good day!

I won an award!! Brush with the Wind" WIPAPA's first juried show!

2010-05-10T10:38:00.000-07:00

"A Place in the Shade" 8x10 oil on panel

available $225

This piece took one of 3 first place awards at the Brush with the Wind show!! I feel so honored!!

I painted this at Old World Wisconsin http://oldworldwisconsin.wisconsinhistory.org/) which is an outdoor museum of sorts. It is a beautiful place where they have moved old barns from all over the state and created small ethnic villages denoting the varies ethnic groups who settled the state. The day I was there was a free day right after the kids got out of school...it was crowded! I had a hard time keeping the kids from putting their hands in my paints!! Just look at these munchkins!!

Check out this video! http://www.youtube.com/user/OldWorldWisconsin

A finished Tonal Portrait and a Memory painting!!

2010-05-05T06:23:00.000-07:00

Top photo oil, bottom photo pastel
"Monches Farm, Spring" both 8x10

Last night I did a quick oil from complete memory. I had done a pastel plein air piece about two weeks ago but didn't have it with me so I just closed my eyes and remembered...how'd I do??

Last night I also put the finishing touches on the portrait of my son and Grandson.: "Father and Son" 16x20 oil. It was my first tonal painting so I learned bunches and while I loved the result I struggled some with the necessary patience...What do you think??

2010-05-02T10:59:00.000-07:00

Today my grandson and I had a picnic by our stream then laid back and watched the cloud show. Then we went to pet our neighbors lambs...Magic!!!

Notes "en plein air" on plein air!

2010-04-23T13:28:00.001-07:00

Quick Sketch as the sun goes down of this wonderful old gnarled tree. I felt like I was in another world...peaceful, quiet, still. (The Spirit Tree, 14x11 pastel)

So I have had a little time to reflect on my plein air trip to New Harmony, Indiana. Yes I struggled with my new set up and new medium but I was still able to peek into the soul of an old tree...still my heart long enough to admire the simplicity of a single dogwood blossom, wonder at the history of a broken fence line and drink in the spring green in huge gulps. Oh, the joy in it all!!

New Harmony and plein air in Pastel!!

2010-04-18T18:43:00.001-07:00

Solomon's Vine 12x16 Pastel

Fence Line 7x5 pastel Sold!!!

What an amazing trip and week...80's and sunny most of it and painting, friends, and competition...even a sale...I am content. I learned that I have a lot to learn! (Shocker!)

She shoots...She Scores!!!

2010-03-28T20:08:00.000-07:00

She wins second place in the Raven Juried show called "Renewal"!

Breakfast Club and Another Day in the Shed and a new artists statement!

2010-02-19T15:41:00.000-08:00

Breakfast Club 12x12 pastel

Another Day in the Shed 10x8 pastel

Each time I do another Pastel my love for them grows. At the same time I have been dealing with some very public criticism of "lack of content" in my work and have been doing some soul searching as a result. We had some great discussion about it at a critique I was at last night. While I believe there is great validity in painting to learn or even painting just to create at some point (or even painting to fend off boredom) I think I maybe need to state the "whys" of choosing subject matter, not so much to satisfy my critics but more to begin to define for my self my identity as an artist and where I need to go from here. So here goes...following is my new artists statement...Let me know what you think!!

My art, done mostly "plein air"(in the open air) and from those experiences , strives to capture that single silver note...the one you wait the whole song to hear... My note which speaks to quiet, peacefulness, joy and contentment in one's own skin.

Sombrero

2010-01-24T08:20:00.001-08:00

8x10 pastel

Lunchtime!

2010-01-19T20:34:00.001-08:00

7x5 pastel

Hoarfrost!

2010-01-18T20:29:00.001-08:00

10x8 Pastel

Sheep and a tractor!

2010-01-17T21:46:00.000-08:00

Tractor on Washington
8x10 Pastel

Shear Buddies
5x7 Pastel

Today's Offering :

2010-01-16T20:45:00.000-08:00

How Did I End Up Here? 5x7 Pastel

Time crunch leads to a new passion!

2010-01-14T12:24:00.000-08:00

Ok... so the 4 year old grandson comes to live here for a while and it rapidly becomes clear that after getting him in bed and doing a reality check on my available remaining energy level, I am too tired to set up my oil paints and paint. This goes on for a while and I am in utter creative withdrawal when a little light bulb goes on...what about pastels? I had a small set tucked away and I found some small mat board pieces and in about 5 minutes I was at it!

Having struggled for awhile to really understand optical color in my work, the first thing I noticed is that you have to work in optical color to create a representative image in pastel...I am learning!! I am painting small...5x7...8x10 etc. And I am trying to paint everyday!

Let me know what you think!!

Wild photos, figure painting and a 4 year old.

2009-12-09T06:26:00.000-08:00

It's amazing how quickly the "creative" in me gets triggered! I have needed to grab for brief windows of opportunity now that my beautiful grandson has come to stay for awhile. We are all still adjusting. And yet here are this weeks offerings: A group of digitally altered photos, (so glad I had my camera with me that night!) a figure painting sketch, and more photos of my grandson. Enjoy!!

Figure Drawing at the Raven

2009-11-11T07:54:00.000-08:00

Soft light...good friends...quiet music (or not) a bag of charcoal pencils and conte' crayon and a pad of paper and the possibilities are endless. Time seems to still as the study of a "fearfully and wonderfully" made figure begins to form on my paper in divided segments of time. My endless urge to capture moment, mood, time is satiated for just this short while. Here are my nights offerings.

One contest entry, one figure painting workshop ,one Holiday window display and one Child arriving!!

2009-11-03T06:58:00.000-08:00

Things are always changing...blowing freshness into the stale air...stirring things up and waking me up! I must admit, I don't always go willingly. This week in one two day period all the leaves were blown off our trees making them naked for their winters slumber...exposing new lines to me. Each one graceful in it's simplicity and uniqueness...I am held captive by their new wind dance. They seem to be looking forward to the coming winter while I have a much harder time adjusting to that thought. Perhaps I too need to shed some dead leaves...shake them loose...I cannot seem to do this alone...Holy Spirit blow through me and fill me with an inner knowingness of joy and hope for spring...No frozen sap...only a deep, quiet running of life in my veins.

I am readying also for a four year old to live with me for an ,as yet undetermined length of time. The next two days will be the last of the quiet mornings for me for quite awhile. We are praying that he will feel welcomed, safe and loved while he is here.As I didn't start painting untill my kids were grown, I could use some advice from some young Mom's out there...How to do this?

Peace to you all!

Three entries in the The First Annual Autumn Arts Painting Challenge and Competition on Facebook!!

2009-10-30T12:53:00.000-07:00

OK...so I like a challenge! Tomorrow is the deadline and so far there are over 600 pieces of some really incredible art in this competition!! So here is what I put in the hat...two plein air pieces done at The Elegant Farmer on a cold, damp moody October morning and one studio piece that I have been thinking about painting forever! It is the view across the street from my house. One morning I awoke and ran for my camera to capture the sun as it lit up the first morning frost of the season sparkling on the grass as the mist began to rise. I was unsure if I could do the experience justice...I hope I have! Who could look at that without knowing there is a God!??

Naked Faces:an interactive art form

2009-10-27T19:07:00.000-07:00

Research shows that we read and judge one another's facial expressions with breathtaking speed. In a split second we decide if the other is safe or not. Think about it...what makes you decide to get to know someone? Daniel Goleman in his book "Social Intelligence:The New Science of Human Relationship" tells us "We are wired to connect. Neuroscience has discovered that our brains very design makes it sociable, inexorably drawn into an intimate brain-to-brain linkup whenever we engage another person.That neural bridge lets us effect the brain-and so the body- of everyone we interact with, just as they do us." Also " That link is a double edged sword: nourishing relationships have a beneficial impact on our health, while toxic ones can act like slow poison in our bodies."

I am fascinated by the face and it's myriad expressions that change in the blink of an eye. Glad, sad, mad, afraid, hurt and ashamed and everything in between. Have you every wanted to change someone else's expression? I have...and so in all fun I have begun a new series of interactive art. Naked Faces gives you the opportunity to do just that! What's your "first impression"?

More peeks!!!

2009-10-21T20:17:00.000-07:00

"The Naked Face"

2009-10-17T12:03:00.000-07:00

I have always been amazed with faces. And how one little tightening of a muscle can convey with an incredable speed...love, hate, sorrow, anger, joy, embarrasment and so on. I read, with apt attention, the book "Social Intelligence" where the actual science of two people interacting is discussed. It gave me a renewed interest in how quickly we read anothers intentions. We get that message way before the other person speaks. And so I have started a new project. I am sharing a little peek right now. I am thinking of calling this series "The Naked Face" Tell me what you think!

Oh, for the love of family!

2009-10-07T07:50:00.000-07:00

My son and my grandson at my nieces wedding...what a sight. I am trying something new for me. Using a toned under-painting...this is the first step. I will keep you posted with the next although this must dry thoroughly first!

golden grasses

2009-10-02T12:04:00.000-07:00

golden grasses
the wind your weaver
the dew an inner light
sparkle and sweep
we see the rhythm spirit
move in you
move around you
move in us

Wendie Thompson

Quiet ruled the night: A crystallized moment.

2009-09-06T07:08:00.000-07:00

After an unbelievable 16" snowfall and just before Christmas, I bundled up, grabbed my camera and walked and shot pics till my hands froze off. Snow still floating down in large flakes, quiet ruled the night. The stillness stays within my soul allowing acceptance of the coming winter. All is well. We remember moments not days.
(I have loaded these images for prints. They make great Christmas cards! Click on the link at the right if your interested.)

Now I feel finished with this piece!

2009-09-02T10:12:00.000-07:00

This is a studio piece of a beautiful log home in New Harmony In. I started this a few weeks ago and just did not feel finished with it. The piano in my dining room is full of such pieces. That way I can study them while eating and consider what to change whenever I see them. Nothing like the smell of fresh oil paint with your dinner. Thankfully my Hubby likes that smell too. New Harmony History 12x16, oil on canvas.

Check this out...feeling very techie...

2009-08-30T19:14:00.000-07:00

Wow...so I just figured out how to link a shopping page right to my blog! I've had some of my photos and paintings available for awhile on Fine Art America. But now I have a shopping cart right on my blog page! Cool...

Flower Faces Slide Show!

2009-08-19T17:22:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

New Harmony History

2009-08-19T11:25:00.000-07:00

This old log home in New Harmony IN has always stolen my attention. I have painted it from a photo and my memory. I do not consider it finished as I think the form in the front made out of rock needs to change some...soften maybe? What do you think? "New Harmony History" 12x16 oil on canvas

One Heartless Tin Man.

2009-08-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

Again...Wizard of Oz. Wondering how many I should do. A series perhaps? I think at least the Scarecrow too....we'll see.

Rain and a Lion!

2009-08-08T06:10:00.000-07:00

It is raining in Wisconsin. The normally lush summer has been unusually dry and cool...but it is raining. The gardens and the fields are rejoicing as well as something deep with in me. I will have tomatoes after all! This dry spell gave new meaning to the words "my soul thirsts". Just at the point when new growth becomes mature food...we need water or we are in danger of shriveling up on the vine. No harvest then...nothing of substance to share with those around us. Living Water...fill us...feed us...I "thirst" for you!

On a different note...A really fun thing is happening in my small city! The Wizard of Oz is celebrating it's 70th anniversary here! Evidently it is one of the places where the movie premiered. Also the man who wrote all the music for the film lived right here! I need to tell you that I NEVER missed a showing of this movie as a child. It is by far my favorite all time movie. So in honor of that I have painted...One Cowardly Lion...."28x22...oil on panel..."If I, If I Were King!" I had such fun painting him. I think I could have done it with my eyes closed! Next...one heartless Tin Man???

Mid Summers Brush...What a wild week!

2009-08-03T07:20:00.000-07:00

Ok...so being the event director for a large plein air event AND trying to paint also is probably not a real good idea. I did a quick paint (window box) which I am very happy with , a demonstration piece at our Kids Brush event (yellow slide) that I must have been out of my mind to even start (all I could think was the kids would like the bright yellow of the slide...never once thought about how complicated architecturally it was and how rapidly the back-light would change the lines!! Lesson LEARNED!!) and two pieces for the competition (sunset and lions) . OK so the big question...do I paint myself or provide opportunity for others to paint? (someones got to do it.) How do you approach this?

Sunflowers and digital alterations

2009-07-13T19:36:00.000-07:00

Driven to create everyday...this is today's fun. Short bursts of sun shining through sunflowers...broken intense color, contrast, chroma. Frilly edges...botanical happiness!

Accepted!!

2009-07-08T20:42:00.000-07:00

Into the League of Milwaukee artists Anderson Arts Center show Kenosha Wisconsin!!! This makes me happy! And Grateful! My Neighbor 12x16 oil on canvas

Missing Handles

2009-07-07T21:42:00.000-07:00

There they sit, the urns at Frame Park in Waukesha Wisconsin. Many of them...Vessels with hats, tucked in amongst a riot of summer color. Evening falls...the one that has caught my attention has had the handles broken off. No place to grab on to...not moving anytime soon.

Plein Air this summer...

2009-06-29T06:04:00.000-07:00

Please bare with me...I am jumping out of my skin happy. You see I received an award at the Cedarburg Plein Air Competition. It was my first ever juried award. It was an Honorable mention for my "quick paint" where we had 2 1/2 hours to paint and bring it back framed. 56 paintings were done in this way. What made me so happy about it was who I was competing with and what they are capable of. I felt SO honored! I have always tried to put the focus on learning something with each new painting and not on winning. That outlook does 2 things...it takes all the pressure off and it really helps me to be free to try new things in my work. But my friend Ken Auster always says "You are good when your peers say you are good" and so this little feather will stay in my hat for just a little while. Then I will lay it at the feet of the Creator, God where it belongs.

PLEIN AIR!!! Joy and frustration thereof...

2009-06-15T17:53:00.000-07:00

Not much beats it for me! Today I went to Old World Wisconsin which is a great place that has a collection of barns . These barns and homesteads have been moved there from all around the state and lovingly rebuilt one board at a time in ethnic villages. (German,Norwegian Etc.) It is quite large and there are trams to take you around. Even so there is a great deal of walking and I was kicking myself for not packing lighter again! So you could say I had a frustrating start. The people I was to paint with I could not find in the sea of people! (Finally found them when I was all done and almost at my car.) I am not a physically strong person so just getting to the tram was a challenge. Then when I got to the place to paint I found that at some point on the (crazy) tram ride I had lost the gadget my husband made me to attach my umbrella to my easel. That meant I had to find a different subject to paint ( and move my already set up stuff) where I could be in the shade somehow as I would burn to a crisp being from Wisconsin and all! However...once I started painting all was well. Nothing bothered me...not even the hundreds of people asking questions...or the little kids who stuck fingers in my paints...What is that feeling...total attention...totally relaxed? I love it!

So here is today's offering entitled" A Spot in the Shade" 8x10 oil on canvas.

2009-06-06T08:34:00.000-07:00

So... yesterday I got in my car and drove the hour and a half to Beloit to paint in and support the Beloit Plein Competition. The weather was wonderful! This is one of the pieces I produced. The second needs more work and I may go back and make some changes to this one as well. I never painted a fountain before and I really struggled with it. What do you think?

Lilly Heart: Considering the Lilly...again.

2009-05-29T07:34:00.000-07:00

At the center is the heart of it pulsing with life and light.

The stargazers soul ...held loosely.

Momentary.

Knowing he will rise again He gives it to you freely...

knowing it to be the death of Him.

He has dressed for this repeat performance.

Variations on a theme!

2009-05-20T12:59:00.000-07:00

A photo, a painting and an art photo...all from the same inspiration. One beautiful red Lilly...A Lilly that I often "consider", think about, ponder over. I love this Lilly (long gone form the planet now). It lives, etched in my mind. " Even Solomon in all his glory could not compare! What more inspiration do I need?

What is it? (Manna)

2009-05-19T06:02:00.000-07:00

When the Israelites left Egypt to wander the wilderness while God made a nation out of them they were afraid and complained that they would die of starvation. So Moses talked to God about it and The Father did an amazing thing that fed them all the years they wondered in the dessert. He made Manna. It was such strange stuff that they named it "What is it?" (In Hebrew: Manna.) Each morning when they awoke it would be lying all over the ground. The rules were that they were only to gather enough to eat for one day with one exception...the day before the Sabbath they were to gather enough for 2 days. The leftovers ( with the exception of the 6th day!) would spoil and if they ate it and they would become very ill. Some died from this.

I have often wondered what this stuff looked like?...tasted and felt like. It was so important to them that they were to keep some in the Ark of the Covenant (or Promise) which eventually ended up in the Temple and Contained the Very Presence of God. (ARK: You know that thing Indiana Jones made famous again).

All of this is leading up to my point: A number of years ago I had a very significant trauma at the hands of someone I really trusted and it shook my life to the very core. Healing took a long time and here is the thing I learned that gave me my life back: Forgiveness is like manna...you must harvest it each day! On occasion it will last for 2 days but sure enough, if you eat it old, it will make you ill. I have pondered this for years now..it is like Jesus' love for us. It is such a foreign thing to us that we ask "What is it?" How could someone die (be murdered in the most brutal way imaginable and not be bitter about it?) for me when I am soooo unworthy? There is absolutely nothing else like it on the planet...but then that IS the point. God IS Love.

Seeing patterns in all things!

2009-05-15T06:46:00.000-07:00

Photography:

As I begin the great Blogging adventure I am seeing patterns in everything! In color, texture and even in seeming chaos...I am seeing patterns. The pattern of a raindrop on a sundrop...the pattern between leaf and lilly or apples and basket. All things work together....for good.