Member Update

Anyone who hosts a paintout or takes photos can send their pictures to Kath Schifano to enter on this blog.  Include the name of the location and any other info you would like published.

If you have previously sent photos, but they have not been posted, then give her a call, her email box is drowning in ads for luscious art supplies, she gets distracted. Reminders are welcome.

You can also write comments at the end of any post, just click the little envelope. You can sign in by your name, website or anonymous. Don't be shy!

Linda Ludwig's palette at Whirlpool State Park.

Murphy's Orchard, paint and lunch

Long ago recognized as a historic spot on the Underground Railroad, this working farm is a destination for tours and families as well as artists.

Early Fall is fruit and vegetable season on the Niagara Frontier, and Murphy's Orchard is a favorite paint spot. Vegetable gardens, massive flowers, farm animals, orchards of various fruits, a lovely barn and shop, and best of all a lovely lunch and tea in the historic farmhouse. We could paint here every day of the summer and still need more time to capture it all.

Ann Zohur, Diane Goupil, Joan Turrell and Linda Piper at tea.

More Tuscarora Trillium photos

Joan and Linda discuss the perils and joys of working on large sheets of handmade paper with pastels.

Paulette Jurek chose a spot with tree trunks, lots of bursts of sunlight and trillium.

Paulette adjusts Linda Ludwig's art attire for maximum sun protection.

Paulette's painting in progress. As lovely as this is, she remained a while to add several more layers of luscious oils.

Joan Turrell and Linda Piper turn their chairs for a lunch break, the views here are 360' of beauty.

Old Bedell Grille on Grand Island

Peggy is working on her watercolor at the deck by the new Old Bedell Grille on Grand Island.

Kathy brought Amelia and sketchbooks, but one of the drawing pencils fell through the floorboards and floated away. If a fish wants to write a letter....

Their spacious new deck has room for a party, our group gathered from all directions to enjoy an Old Bedell Grill lunch. Sharon Fundalinski, Ann Zoher, Peggy Walker, Jean McDonald are in this photo.

Carl and Kathy Schifano catch up with Sharon, it is so warm and lovely here on the river, we had a spectacular day and great food as well.

Delaware Park

The rose garden is usually a draw for artists, but the bridge at Rumsey Road attracted plein air painters on July 18. The East Aurora 'Fairweather Paletteers' group scheduled this one and it was a lovely and productive day.

Spring in Buckhorn State Park

Buckhorn State Park on Grand Island is a quiet wildlife preserve with wooded walks leading to the Niagara River, marshlands and meadows. The artists scattered in different directions, from the edge of the creek bed to the fisherman's landing.

It was a misty early Spring day and leaves had begun to sprout from some trees, while others held their buds tightly. There was little sun so the water reflections dominated any shadows the artists may have been looking for. The advantage of working plein air on overcast days is that colors and light remain the same longer, all of the artists were working with muted tones and captured the peace of the day with paint.

Connie Minnici

Kath Schifano

Diane Groupil

Donna Hale

Two days at Tuscarora State Park, the Trillium Walk

Our painters came to the edge of Wilson to haul easels and supplies across a field, up and over a small hill and down to the edge of a creek that feeds into Lake Ontario
Sherill Primo found this amazing diverse painting spot, super quiet and natural and full of things to paint. Can you tell she likes to paint here? Is is any wonder we came here twice?

Whirlpool State Park

Where should we paint? Some of the places we go have endless choices, and this park is one of them. The gorge, Spanish Aerocar, long rambling paths, wildflowers, a WPA building with flowering gardens, and of course, the mighty Niagara where it has tumbled down from the falls, hesitates in a whirlpool and heads north to Lake Ontario.

Linda Ludwig, Joan Turrell and Kath Schifano obviously had a fun day painting

The hill leading to the gorge walk was dressed for a perfect Spring day

Kath Schifano's work in progress

Linda Ludwig's Spring palette captured the colors of the river, trees and sky at Whirlpool

Tuscarora Trillium Walk

A natural bridge of branches creates a circle with reflections.

 Turning to the west, the water opens up to a grass meadow

Paulette and Linda take care of spiders and bugs, hazards of plein air artists.

During lunch, we all remarked on the beauty of this spot, here Linda and Joan have turned into the circle of artists for our midday break.

Picking the Best Day to Paint

After several days of dreary downpours, the prospect of painting outdoors looked bleak. However, the Monday morning painting crowd was surprised to wake to brilliant light, clear skies and a warm weather forecast. Monday April 15 was a perfect paintout day.

NFPAP painters gathered at the spot picked in February. Somehow, Peggy knew it would be a great weather day 2 months in advance. Nestled on the edge of the Allentown business district, Arlington Place is circle of turn of the century homes facing an almost private open park. Each home reflects individuality and elegance, and going there in Spring gave our artists good views before the trees were fully leafed.

Diane Goupil, Nancy Zack, Sharon Fundalinski at Arlington Place.

Donna Hale

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All photos by Peggy Walker

"This is a very friendly and proud neighborhood and we found great architecture subjects. A quiet little respite to the sounds of the city." 

January in Western New York

We admit it, the plein air painters are just not going to paint outdoors when the wind is blowing and the temperature is perfect for building snowforts. However, we do like to get together and our January meet-up was at Sherrill Primo's home. We each brought a painting for a group critique followed by lunch and an agreeable discussion of national events which had nothing to do with art.

Afterwards, we sat around with art supplies, sketching, drawing, painting and generally behaving like the artists we all are, although it was a lot quieter than our usual outdoor paint events with birds, trains, squirrels and the breeze in the trees.

Ann Zohur sketching figures

Joan Turrell drew leaves under glass on the table with colored pencils. One of Sherrill's Maine paintings is on the wall.

Joan Shaw Sat in the kitchen for an outdoor view

Kathy Schifano chose a rocker to watercolor some pottery in the window

Sherrill Primo sat at her table to work on the details of her next painting