Palletteers Fay-ed Out

Predictions of stiff winds and heavy thunderstorms due to TD Fay gave me serious second thoughts as I drove to Frederiksted Friday morning to paint outdoors. However, the rains had abated and I had other early business there anyway, so I went. Arrived on the site around 8:50, set up the Palletteers sign of which I am now in charge, grabbed my camera, and did a walk about the property, looking mainly for places providing cover that also had a view that I wanted to paint: Many such views, few such shelters. Being a newbie at plein air, I'm not as easily inspired or easily as creative as some of our veteran Palletteers who can turn a road in a pasture into a magical scene on their paper. So I took lots of photos and went back to my car to see if anyone had arrived and think about what I wanted to paint. One of the problems of painting on location in questionable weather is the "gear' one has to cart to the site, unpack, and set up. Setting up, in my case, involves a julian easel, pallette box, paints, mixes, and a canvas... and once I'm set up it also includes a wet pallette along with my 2 open containers of liquids needed to mix with my paints and clean my brushes. So I end up with a lot of "stuff" that would have to be quickly dismantled, packed and returned to the car in case of a bad turn in the weather. True, a sudden downpour won't wreak the damage on my painting that it would on a watercolor or acrylic painting, but remember that oil and water do not like to mix. So, as I sat in my car, thinking about what I wanted to paint, I also spent time thinking about whether I wanted to cart all my "stuff" over to my chosen site, the cockpit animal mill. I decided instead to just take my canvas and drawing supplies and draw while I waited for the rest of the group to arrive. Did that and actually enjoyed my time in the tunnel-like enclosure I'd chosen for my shelter, and then returned to the car. By now it was 10AM and I'd decided that if no one else had come, I'd go home to paint, instead. Got to my car, put my drawing supplies into the back, and who should drive up but Emeline, who'd come to write! We talked about the no-show situation and decided to adjourn to Turtles for hot tea and a sweet instead. As it happened, the morning's dire weather predictions never came true. We Cruzans are really spoiled, eh? We don't swim in the wintertime because the water is "too cold" (but all the tourists love it!), we get a smidgeon of rain and decide the day isn't nice enough to paint outdoors... Hope to see you all here next week, rain or shine!
Ginger