Bonds Lake Park

Sherrill Primo scheduled an absolutely perfect September sunshine day at Bond's Lake Park, and we were all pleasantly surprised to see the variety of new views off the road and back in the park. Joan Shaw was in attendance as well. We all sat facing the water for our lunch get-together, constantly harking about the perfect weather, the changing colors and the sweet dog that gave each of us a chance to scratch his head. Sounds like a dull event, but only because you were not there, it was divine to spend an early fall afternoon sitting around with friends, painting light, shadow and nature.

Linda Piper

Joan Turrell

Kathy Schifano

Anne Zohur in her car studio

Niagara Frontier Plein Air Artists pose with their 'catch of the day'

Beaver Island Spring paintings

A view of the golf course there and the shop that burned down the following day!

Spring greens, clear skies, budding trees bright colors and COLD! We met at Beaver Island State Park in Grand Island along the Niagara River which was still pretty close to 40 degrees. The morning started kind of crummy, but the sun burned off the clouds and radiantly warmed us through multiple layers.

Peggy Walker wears mittens over rubber gloves with pastels.

Sharon Fundalinski peeks out from under her layers on the boardwalk

Joan Turrell enjoys the bay from her boardwalk spot in the sun.

Bidwell Parkway Vegetable Market

The popular Saturday Market at Bidwell and Elmwood in Buffalo is fresh, creative and all local. A jar of tomato sauce here, homemade pasta there, some vegetables and it is a dinner. How about a painting to go with that?
Bernice Smith and Sherrill Primo parked their easels in the shade by the vendors and enjoyed the city neighborhood ambiance as they painted the local scene.

2012 Worldwide Paintout in Niagara Falls

Starting this paintout weekend at Niagara Falls State Park right, the weather was mostly sunny and mid 70's until well after lunch when we returned to our cars loaded with equipment and new paintings and felt the first raindrops of the day. We had settled in the public space between the two great cataracts and the long staircases to the Horseshoe Falls, as our first favorite spots at Luna Island and Three Sisters were both blocked for the Fall construction season-new walkways, overlooks, safer stairs and rails will be installed for next year.

We found that most of the tourists in our area were walking longer distances to enjoy the sights from all vantage points, few had come to simply take pictures and hurry out to the shopping malls. We know our way around Goat Island, although there were plenty of tourists and tour buses nearby, their drop off point was nearer to the stairs and we had this area to ourselves in the morning.

Sherrill Primo, sketching her plan

Joan Shaw with her pochade

Linda Piper and Joan Turrell with pastels and conversation

Joan Shaw and Kathy Schifano's french easel by the bench

Kathy, Joan, Linda, Joan and Sherrill meet for lunch

Each time the tour bus drove behind us it would slow or stop so the riders could see our paintings. 

Joan L Shaw's oil of our view of the Horseshoe Falls

Joan Turrell's pastel of the cascades on hand-marbled paper

Linda Piper's pastel looking across to Canada

Kathy Schifano's oil of a boulder on the falls' edge