I painted this at Glenwood Gardens for the 8th annual Breast Cancer Brick Auction, which will be held on Sunday, October 25, 2009 from 2-5 pm at 8485 Ridge Rd. Cincinnati, OH 45236. If you would like to paint and donate a brick for the auction, there's still time. The bricks are due to be turned in by September 25. To learn more about this event, visit www.breastcancerbricks.org or contact beth@breastcancerbricks.org or (513) 673-7420.

This is a palette knife painting in oils but I still have to add the required pink ribbon before I turn it in. Haven't felt much like painting the last few days; think I may have had this flu or virus that's been on the news as going around in Cincinnati. It's good to be up and at 'em again today!

In this case, I think the one below makes a more interesting drawing but I'm not surprised my client prefers the topmost view for her home portrait.

I liked the one that was from a further distance away. Here's the little painting I did of it.

Two 9 x 12" pencil drawings learning a house to be painted small in acrylics for a new client. He prefers this close up view.

Wow, didn't realize how far behind I've gotten on my posts. Okay, last Saturday painted outdoors at Glenwood Gardens. Fantastic place! My first time there and the weather, though hot, was sunny and good.

I really got out of my box by trying a small palette knife painting in oils on masonite panel. Not sure this is really for me but I'll stick with it for awhile, as I did when I first started painting in acrylics. It felt like I was painting with my left hand and the other one tied behind my back but I did finish a nice summery view of the front part of the park.

I usually paint better standing up but even though I sat in the shade the whole time, I was too drained by the heat to walk around and explore Glenwood Gardens. Will look forward to doing that in the future.

A friend of mine sends out a schedule to paint outdoors every Saturday morning while the weather's nice. She tells me what fun it's been to catch up with friends this way, as well as paint, much like I'm experiencing with my daily walks.

So I went to her paint out the other day at Miami Whitewater Forest. Loved painting, the beautiful day, talking to people and the accompanying music from the Appalachian festival there. Hated the little painting I did so much that I won't put it up here:( Next week: Glenwood Gardens.

Planning for Ohio Plein Air Society (OPAS) paint out in Milford Sat Aug 22. An event at Performance Lexus at Kings Auto Mall on Thurs Sept 9 promoting the annual Mason Arts Festival on Sunday Sept 20. FreshART paint out and auction at Behringer-Crawford Museum in Devou Park on Sat Sept 19. And Habitat for Humanity benefit at Longworth Hall that same night.

Missed Saturday open house at Loveland on Main studios but hope to catch the "dueling demos" at Evendale Art Center this Friday night Aug 14 and John Leon's exhibit at the 5th Street Gallery opening Aug 21.

This week, did some 9 x 12" pencil drawings and 7 x 9" acrylic paintings of a home for a realtor. Working to finish an 18 x 24" oil portrait for homeowners in Lebanon OH.