A Wonderful plein air day

Wow, what a day. When I was a girl I used to go to Bible Camp every summer. We had art lessons, and songs, and learned Bible verses. One that always stuck with me was from Psalm 118:24 - "This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it" Even now, after 50 years have passed, this is the first thing that pops into my head when we have a day like the one we had on Saturday at Marineland.  It was a glorious day - with the sun shining, the wind blowing, the waves crashing on the beach, the birds flying overhead (including a bald eagle). It was the sort of day that truly makes me rejoice, and what fun it was to share that beauty with my fellow pastelists.

How amazing it was for us to have a rocky beach scene to paint - so unusual in Florida. It truly felt more like coastal New England, at least until you turned around to look at the palm trees.

The waves were rough and big enough to bring out surfers later in the morning, and we shared the boardwalk with whale watchers.

There were a number of picnic tables scattered at different spots along the length of the boardwalk. The tide was quite high when we arrived and for some of us the boardwalk itself seemed like a great place to paint from.

But of course the beach was glorious too and certainly had plenty of spots to set up on.

The wind was invigorating, but we also had to bundle up against it to stay warm while painting in one place.

It was not a bitter, biting wind however. Just the sort of wind to get your blood stirring and your heart and soul rejoicing.

Different groups found spots that appealed to them.

And we were spread out from one end of the beach to the other.

(photo by Cynthia Pierson) 

Even your faithful blogger got captured on film for this occasion, a rare event!

As is our custom we gathered for lunch at the end of a fine morning of painting.

We were pleased to have a couple new attendees with us - Carmen who is from Minnesota but visiting her daughter in St. Augustine Beach, and Corinne who recently joined us and came all the way from Savannah for this event! It was great to have you both with us.

We didn't have as much of a show-and-tell as we sometimes do, but here are a few images from the morning, including one watercolor!

Two of our members from up Amelia Island way felt it was too far to come all the way down to Marineland to join us, so they got together to have their own paint out at Fort Clinch. Sorry you could not be with us Linda and Janet, but what a great idea.

Don't forget that the deadline to enter our Spring juried show is fast approaching. See the entry form on the blog for details, but Feb. 16 is the deadline date for jpg submission.

Also February 14 is the deadline for getting in your deposit for the Ann Manry Kenyon workshop, before we open it up to non-members.

Then on March 7 we will be back at our meeting place in Ponte Vedra Beach. Our own Cindy Pierson, a wonderful portrait painter, will be doing a demo for us.

Ann Manry Kenyon workshop

FPCS members - here's your chance to get first dibs on a workshop with world-class portraitist Ann Manry Kenyon:

FCPS portrait/figure workshop with Ann Manry Kenyon

IMPORTANT Dates
February 14 Member sign up deadline. $100 deposit will hold your spot.
February 15 Workshop sign up open to non-members.
March 1 Final payment for workshop due.
May 9-10 Workshop, 9am-5pm, Ponte Vedra Cultural Center

Workshop Fees:
$200 FCPS members
$240 non-members
Lunch (optional) $10 per day
You may pay your fees on the blog (firstcoastpastelsociety.blogspot.com) or mail a check (email us for the address to mail the check)

FCPS Portrait workshop schedule
Saturday and Sunday, May 9-10, 9am-5pm

From Ann: I’d like to begin the first morning with quick poses of 3 or 4 minutes and gradually building to ten minutes and perhaps the last before the lunch break, 30 minutes. Then the afternoon can be one long pose (with model breaks, of course). The second day might consist of a partially clothed single pose throughout the day. Or we often play it by ear, so to speak, and even have one long morning pose and a different long afternoon pose. The participants will be free to choose to paint only the head and shoulders or the entire figure. I do not want to pressure them concerning their choice as I think the happier one is, the more one can relax and drink in information.

Workshop supply list
Newsprint pad
Charcoal sticks
Chamois cloth
Kneaded eraser
Long clips to hold your paper
At least 5 sheets of Moonstone color (you may bring other colors as well) Canson mi teintes paper or any brand sanded papers or boards. Ann will be using Canson paper for demos.
Light flesh tones graduating to darker earth tones, used in initial drawing.
Soft pastels - Any good set. The more colors, the better.

Lunch options
Lunch is available to workshop participants for $10 per day. There will be bread, lunch meat, cheese,
condiments, snacks, green salad, and fruit. We also provide bottled water and coffee. You must pay for lunch in advance. There is a paypal button on the blog site and the money is due at the same time as the final workshop payment or you can include the cost in your check mailed to Theri Dufour (email us for address)

About Ann Manry Kenyon

Ann Manry Kenyon is a nationally known portrait artist based in Jacksonville, FL. She has painted CEOs, academic faculty and private commissions. She had served as a juror many times, most recently at the Sumner Show for the Portrait of Society of Atlanta. She is faculty for the Portrait Society of America, a member of the Salmagundi Club of NY, Pastel Society of America and many other notable organizations. More info at www.annmanrykenyon.com.