I took the week before Labor Day off from my day job just to have time to rest and relax for a minute and work on some art. I don’t know how well I succeeded at that, but Jake and I did manage a visit to our local apple orchard, and then made a trip north to MI to see friends and family for a long weekend. That took a few days to recover from, haha, but we packed in a lot: bonfire and s’mores; Chinese food, drinking, and corn hole; shopping and mini golf (plus this skillet thing my mom makes with potatoes, egg, sausage, and cheese for breakfast after said night of drinking, which was delicious). Also lots of coffee.
Impressively (at least to me) I managed to take pictures of friends and family, instead of just possible reference photos for future paintings. However, it’s the latter that I’ll share here, since they’ll probably be more interesting to you all. I’ve continued finding inspiring subject matter in somewhat unconventional places, and I find them more often now that I’m training myself to look. Here’s a sampling from that week:
I’m thinking of doing a fall series of paintings this year, and hopefully eventually some winter/holiday themed paintings. I’ve been fortunate the last couple years to have commissions to work on during the holiday season, but it’s prevented me from offering much art in my shop to commemorate the seasons.
All these photos were taken with my phone (because of course I forgot my camera) and I didn’t edit any of them, so forgive the quality. Some of them will likely see Photoshop before I use them as references for painting.
Did you do anything fun or interesting for the long weekend? This was our first time out of Illinois in 2020, though we’re planning another trip next month for a family member’s baby shower. It’s been tough to stay put for so long, even though I know it’s been for the best.
Fairy Tree Studios 