Alexis Lavine Workshop Day 1

Some Chenay ginger cats joined us for a bit.
Today was the first day of Alexis Lavine's 3 day painting workshop at Chenay Bay. Our group is small.. there are only about 10 of us... so we are really being treated to a lot of individualized attention. It was blustery and rainy when I woke up this morning and I made sure to pack my jacket, umbrella, and an extra set of clothes, along with all my painting stuff. By the time I got to Chenay, the sun was shining and the day looked promising. It turned out to be a lovely day and the nice breeze that wafted through Chenay's outdoor restaurant kept us comfortable. This workshop focused on how to paint from photographs. Although we specialize in painting plein air, most of us also paint studio pieces. The first thing we learned was to NEVER use someone else's photograph as the basis for one of our paintings... Of course, we all know this but some reinforcement of it and the possible repercussions for those who ignore the rule was helpful. The day passed surprisingly quickly and we not only learned some very valuable information but we were also able to begin painting and apply what we'd learned. I feel like I've already learned some very useful stuff...wonder what we'll learn tomorrow?
Ginger

St. George Village Botanical Garden

Every day is a great day to paint but some days are even greater! Friday morning was one of those days. Everything was in synch: the weather was our winter version of cool, the breeze was soft and caressing, the day was clear and bright, and old friends had returned to St. Croix to paint with us! What could be better? We so enjoy painting at our botanical gardens because not only does it offer so many varieties of plant life but it also has old ruins, both restored and not, a neat Japanese bridge over a pond, ala Monet, waterfalls, both natural and man-made,and such a selection of vistas and sites that we are allowed many variations in subject matter no matter how many times we paint there. Can you see why we love it there?

Estate Belvedere

After a short downpour during which we all found shelter, our morning at Estate Belvedere was an exceptionally beautiful one! We were glad to welcome newbies Glen and Bobbi and see the return of winter members, Jane, Pat, and Joy!




























Oreo decided to join us last minute, borrowing some paint from Hilda's oil painting, some paper from Marilyn's watercolor painting, and leaving one of her quick paw print paintings for us to admire before Jane caught her in a hug. Her masterpiece is below.


At Rowdy Joes, where 24 of us reconvened for lunch, Hilda Demsky, artist in residence at the Caribbean Museum Center of the Arts, told us about art residencies. Speaking from her own experience with 12 of them made her presentation extremely interesting. After her speech, we enjoyed a yummy lunch with great service!
Ginger