Blog

Have Brush, will Travel

Blog - By Susan Blackwood OPA  AIS  AWS  NWS

I love to paint intimate scenes, close-ups that capture little corners of the world. I especially love to paint them plein air, sitting right in front of them. Oils, Watercolors, or sketches... they all thrill me!

Creating paintings everywhere I travel, gives me a special insight into each new location, be it a new country, state, city or wilderness. The very act of standing still in one spot for several hours while sliding my brushes over canvas or paper, enables me to hear and smell and feel the environment. For that brief time span, as I paint my painting, I am merged with the locals’ world. If I am in a city or village, my ears are filled with conversations floating on the air of family and friends (often in a foreign language that my ears translate into lovely melodies) as they walk past or their voices float through an open window as they congregate in their homes.

Standing still, barely moving as I sway to the rhythm of my brush strokes, I enjoy the laughter of children on their way to school, beautiful music playing on a radio, church bells ringing out the hours, the tinkle of silverware as a table is being set for lunch, the smells of culinary delights being lovingly cooked. Not only do I take with me these freshly created paintings, but all the tickles of my senses, as well, and the memories firmly attached to each spot of color. They become “souvenirs” far greater than any treasure I could buy at the local markets of the world. Some of these paintings I will keep, but most will find themselves in someone’s home so they can somehow look at my painting and feel, smell and hear the location that I painted.

Artists, everywhere, love to plant flowers. Me, too! Those little touches of color reach out to all of us as we pass by. These paintings express a lasting impression of a few of the flowers that have caught my eye and excited my brushes, through my 44 years of traveling and painting in Europe and around the world. I want to show you how to capture these moments in paint, to pass down through the generations.

Red Flowers Near Her Door 12 x 9 oil

Sunny Side

16 x 20 Oil

Join Howard and me in June as we capture the romance of Italy. Let’s paint the flowers of the Chianti Valley of Tuscany together in 

Italy... the Romantic capital of the world!

June 3 - 10

Go to my web site for more information.

www.susanblackwood.com

Even at home, in my own little world, the corners are always so intriguing to me. 

So Many Blossoms, from my own garden in Bozeman, Montana (2003) 18 x 14 Oil

This last painting was painted, plein air 20 years ago in June, when our peonies were in full bloom. That year we had a very wet and cold spring, delaying our flowers. Our lilacs were still in bloom as were our iris’ …… next came along the peonies. They finally just burst into bloom. And I knew.... it was Time to paint them for sure!

Think about This ..... Join Me and Howard Friedland in June as we capture the romance of Italy. Let’s 

paint the flowers of the Chianti Valley of Tuscany together.

 Susan Blackwood