DPC SUMMER SESSION -1

Today was the first official gathering of the DPC for our summer sessions and we decided to take it on the road, or down to the river as it were. I met the gang at school and we trucked on down the a park along the Delaware River to do some Plien Air landscapes. The painting above was done in 2-3 hours, 9 x 12 on Fredrick's canvas board.
The subject was this abandoned power plant looking place, or as I call such buildings, "Joker hideouts" as they look like the type of building a super-villain always uses as a hideout.

The sky grew quickly almost totally cloudy as we set up and a stiff wind started blowing in off of the Delaware so we all had to make sure our canvases were really secured or they would have sailed right into the drink. I set up a pretty limited palette based on the colors I saw and set straight to blocking the painting in. The park was still full of families and people walking or riding around and fishing. No sooner had I started to rough in the painting that I was quickly set upon by curious on-lookers, and a few, particularly this one couple, was pretty drunk. The lady was reallllly interested in what I was doing and pestered me with many questions, her male companion was much more respectful and tried to keep her off of me telling her "let the man concentrate and do his business."

Then they noticed Will and Dave and set about to observer and art direct them and give lots of advice. the lady kept coming back and telling me I was "winning", that my painting was so much better. She'd leave and come back all evening as we painted. A few other curious people would come by but they were always much more respectful. Every time i have painted out publicly I have been set upon by the curious on-looker, I suppose people just never see anyone painting beside Bob Ross on TV.

The wind really started blowing and the paint started really setting up, drying fast and getting stiff along with my arms and hands. it must have dropped a good 15-20 degrees by the water really quick as the front went through.
Dave and Will joking around as they set up.
Dave's rough-in.


Here is the drunken lady who pestered me all afternoon pestering Will and giving him advice on how to make his painting better.
Will's painting in progress, I'm sure the pointers from the Budwiser Art Critic really helped.
Dave's painting in progress.

In the end we had a good time, my painting turned out Ok, the light did change from partly sunny to mostly cloudy, but I just put down what I had and stayed with it instead of chasing the light. At about 6:30-7 we decided to pack it up as we were all pretty cold, my arms and hands were like an arthritic old man from being blasted by that cold wind. It got so cold even the drunken art fans left. For the end of May it felt more like November.

We topped off our first outing with dinner at Silk City Diner. It was a good day and next week we plan to do another plien air expedition.