Augusta Plein Air 2015

Augusta Plein Air was just wrapped up Sunday with the final sale.  It was a beautiful event with near perfect weather.  Spring is here, so we did have a few cloudy moments and a sprinkle or two.  But the temperatures were perfect.  Kudos to the team of people headed up by the committee chair Kathy Kessler.  The event runs as smooth as butter on a hot summer day.  We had a new venue this year in New Melle, a neighboring town.  The town welcomed us with flags everywhere!  Another warm reception and wine flowed at the final purchase award of $500.  The town was buzzing with activity.  Lots to paint, and everyone had a great time.
Here are a few photos of the plein air event.  Sign up early for 2016.  You get to select your booth space and try for a private estate paint out event.  There were two this year.  The private event also has a $500 purchase for each day.  Not to even mention you are fed lunch and dinner, and the venue is always a spectacular area.

Max had his debut for plein air.  He was amazing.  That little guy laid at my easel for 2 hours at a time.  Never barked, never complained.  Perfect little companion.

one of my paintings

Louanne Hein

Allen K.

Shawn Cornell, one of the judges.  I took a workshop with him a few years ago.  Great guy.

Teddy Jackson and Allen K. at one of the wineries. 

Zak Barnes

Kathy Kessler and Max.  He was the plein air greeter.

This is how we roll.  Organization is a key.  Especially with dog kennels!

Pastelist Michelle Wells doing a demo for her 1/2 day workshop.  It was great, and we were all sorry it wasn't longer.  Maybe next year?

Verants property.  A beautiful place.

Only one tick!  Amazing for all the tall grass and weeds we trekked through.  

View from a winery.

Winery and house for sale…..1.3 million.  

Artist set up in front of the wine cellar.

I have a lot of pictures of Maxs rear end!

Patrick Sanders, who is an extraordinary painter.  He won Best of Show, First place oil and a number of other events.  He was on a roll this year.  Interesting he is selling his house and buying an Airstream to do the plein air circuits.

Inside the wine cellar.

Paige Clausen painting a beauty.

This was my painting, which sold the day of the sale.  It was my favorite one too.

Max and his buddy Leo.  We had a great time with Kathy and Leo.  

It was fun to see a Joshua Been displayed at one of the events.  He really should return and do a workshop.

Jason Sacran's winner from last year.  Another beauty.

Kathleen Hudson won this year at the winery with this painting.  She had her new baby and mom…..and I thought I was busy with Max!  Yicks.  

Marcia Willam working on a watercolor in New Melle.

Everyone was missing their dogs at home.  Zak has a young St. Bernard, and he really took to Max.  

This was a vineyard I ended up painting, and it sold.  I don't have a good photo of the painting unfortunately.  

The underpainting is the only decent photo of the scene.  

Spencer Meager, working on what was a blue ribbon for best watercolor.

Henryk working on a window view.

Mark with Leo and Max.

This painting cleaned house.  Patrick Saunders took the awards with this one.  It was a beauty capturing light.

Final Sale Day.  Outside and inside artists had work set up.  The weather was perfect.

Teddy Jackson and Tammy Dickerson's work.  They are very prolific painters!

I liked this one.  Those fields really laid down.

Paul painted some wonderful scenes.  He laughs and says he is a once a year painter.  He was selling them!

Jane Flanders selling one.

The night of the sale, the last day, I stayed and did a nocturne of this scene.  Warm summer evening.  No bugs or mosquitos….near perfect.  But I was getting homesick! Two weeks away with Max.  It was a great event.  I had a fabulous hostess!  I treated myself to Yoga, a message (to die for) and got my hair cut and colored.  Much needed.  My home town hair dresser is recuperating from knee replacement surgery.
The return trip was so easy.  Max was great.  Driving to Augusta he threw up twice!  So the ride home was a snap….no throwing up.  :)

A week of Detox, Yoga and painting

I spent last week in Augusta, MO with my friend Kathy Kessler.  She has a wonderful B & B and health spa, the Halcyon.  Joan Parker, a painter friend of mine and very close friend of Kathys had talked of a mini retreat late last year.   The plan was to get on a healthy path to kick start the new year.   Kathy was here in Kansas City in Dec. for a yoga retreat/workshop and spurred our interest in her healthy life style.  It sounded like fun, so I joined in.  We did cut our 7 day retreat in to a 5 day retreat with Kathy due to the impending snow storm.
During those 5 days with Kathy, Joan and another friend Diane, we had a life changing experience.  The Detox plan was simple and easy and I was never hungry.  For 2 days we only drank a detox shake and had vitamins.  The third day we began a simple clean Vegan diet.  We participated in Yoga, new to all of us.  Kathy is a superb teacher of Yoga giving us just enough of the workout to understand the basics.  We stretched, meditated, and felt a true peaceful feeling of health.  Kathy is also a massage therapist, and we each enjoyed 2 full body massages.  Joan also got a fabulous facial from one of Kathys facial therapists.
For two days we also added sessions of cooking.  Kathy is a wonderful cook, and we experienced wonderful healthy foods.  Some were new to me and Kathy guided me in the kitchen to prepare roasted Fennel.  I loved it!  We were selective in our diet to follow the detox plan and eliminate foods that are known to cause allergy reactions.  So the diet consists of mostly fruit and vegetables with choices of free range chicken if desired.
Joan and I spent a couple of afternoons painting and I have added one of them on this post.  It is far from finished, but I have about 3 others I have been working on as well.
Joan and I were having such great success with the detox we are extending the program for 21 days.  Results will follow in 14 days!

Information on the spa can be found at  www.halcyonaugusta.com

Augusta Shores
9 x 12 oil on wood panel