Big turnout at Ferry Village

Ferry Village was the original site of a ferry landing and a well known dance hall from the early 20th century. Now it is the edge of Beaver Island State Park, a residential area and a great little restaurant for summer treats. Each year this spot is scheduled more painters show up, it has water, boats, trees, a power plant across the river, assorted buildings, picnic area and docks. Lots more painters skipped lunch to finish working. 

Jean MacDonald

Joan Shaw

Best of all, it has great food and a lovely spot for lunch.

More Cherry Blossom views

The Japanese Gardens at the History Museum in Buffalo are ablaze in pink in Springtime. Our painters have three painting excursions planned there this year. Bright Sunlight, beautiful colors, flowers blooming, and blinding sunshine all made this day beautiful

Linda Ludwig and her wet painting prepare to leave

Kathy Schifano is surrounded by pink

Jean McDonald made good use of the barrier stones

Diane Goupil cools on another boulder

Whirlpool Park

Find Shade. Shade is important to plein air artists as the sun gives your colors unusual brightness and paintings look muddy when brought indoors. Sun also makes us hotter when the temperature is trying to break records. I didn't plan to paint and went to Whirlpool for a few minutes and to take pictures. Whirlpool is a long narrow park along the ridge of the Niagara Gorge and painters were nowhere to be found, until I stepped under the massive trees on the parkway side of the park. Nestled in a solid area of deep dark cool shadows, three painters were relaxing, escaped from the searing heat and feasting on the light and shadows of DeVeaux woods.

Joan Shaw, looking towards the old Devil's Hole path.

Sherrill Primo, who plans to return another morning to complete this painting.

colors beginning in the park

Donna Hale, using pastel

2015 show at 464 Gallery

Landscape: The Nature of Things

464 Gallery, on Amherst Street in Buffalo will host our group's 2015 Exhibition from 8/28 to 9/15 2015. We hope you can join us for the artists reception on August 28 from 6-8 pm. There will be great treats and a cash bar that evening. It's a wonderful location for a gallery and we hope to see you there. The gallery is open Wednesday to Friday 12-6 and Saturdays until 4pm.

Summer at the Botanical Gardens and South Park

While the north greenhouse of the venerable greenhouses is being rebuilt the painters assembled in the shade of large trees to paint near the south greenhouse. The lovely artistic benches, newly painted perennials and blossoming bushes amidst garden sculpture and a fountain (with frogs) at this location had us wondering what to choose from in all beautiful directions.

 Paulette, the host, at her easel

 Paulette in the shade and Laurene

 Laurene and Claudia came with Kathy

Jennifer and Peggy

Forest Lawn

Forest Lawn is like a huge city park, full of mature trees, a creek, grand entrances and sculptures of all sizes. On a cool and slightly overcast day painters met at the Main Street arch entrance and settled in for a quiet afternoon in the midst of Buffalo noise and activity.

Diane, Jean, Peggy and Sharon 

 Watercolor by Sharon

 Watercolor by Peggy

Where Elks Rest, pastel by Kathy

Lockport Nature Trail in April

One of our early Spring paintouts was in Lockport, the trees were just budding but the forest floor had Trillium galore, ferns unrolling, critters scampering and birds singing.

Apparently, looking at these photos, Lockport Nature Trail is a truly beautiful place to walk and paint, but it is big. I heard from one painter who worked there but couldn't find the group, she said it was lovely. 

Cherry Blossom Festival, 2 Saturdays

Early May brings Spring and cherry blossoms to Western New York and plein air painters to the History Museum in Buffalo. The 2nd annual Cherry Blossom festival coincided with spectacular sunny weather. On the first Saturday the blossoms were beginning to open and a week later they were in full fashion and breezes brought the petals shimmering across the entire landscape. Painters from 'Niagara Painters' joined us on the second visit.

 Jeannette Pikturna had a lot of visitors from her spot on the path near the islands. Two of these pastel paintings are in the NACC show, through June.

 Paulette Jurek was there with the bonsai society, I caught her fishing for water for those elegant miniature trees.

 These two photos show the difference between morning and afternoon light in the same spot, with Kathy Schifano's painting in progress on her pochade.

Fellow artist and Artsphere Gallery owner Doreen showed up with her student, Margaret.

Pushing the boundary with materials

Super cold February, with an average temperature of 11 degrees didn't keep the painters in their studios. We had a 'show and tell' session of works created from Sandy Heath's hand made paper. December 2013 she brought in a set of various and textured colored papers made from recycled cotton with Linda Piper. Each artist selected one with a year to decide how to use it.
Paulette J, Jean, Linda, Sandy, Diane, Sherrill, Joan and Paulette R, photo by Kathy.

 

Our host, Sherrill treated us with a delicious and unusual cake from a recipe she learned on her recent African trip, the unfamiliar flavor of an African liquor made a delicious and interesting dessert.

THis snapshot collections shows the range os uses of the natural deckle edge rag papers, including painting, drawing, reverse views and framing.