A Little bit of Heaven in Orono

Today the Plein Air Thursday group went to Orono to paint. A friend of Fred Irons, Lisa, has a garden that would make you green with envy. Lisa is an artist herself and the garden has her personal touches such as fountains and arbors and fruit trees and berry bushes, not to mention the exotic flowers mixed in with standard Brown Eyed Susans'. What a display of color and a treat for the eye....an oasis in the middle of the town. I arrived at 10am and didn't want to leave

Lisa, Fred and neighbor Betty

After roaming aimlessly around  on visual overload I finally decided on an place to plant my easel. I painted a garden tool shed that was so adorable and another painting of a sun flower looking happy as could be to be planted right in that spot.  Painting in this garden was so much fun.

Sunflower

Tool Shed

Michelle Walker found a large green vessel that was made into a fountain surrounded by flowers to paint. Her use of pastels captured the vessel and the soft red flowers hugging the pot. She used many layers of pastels to accomplish the color of the vessel. Beautiful job Michelle.

Liz Donald painted a garden of large white flowers that bloom in the evening...they must have been confused because they were in full bloom. Along side of the white blossoms were magenta and  yellow Zinnias  and a tomato and vegetable  garden arched in plastic to keep out the deer. Her painting captured the  beauty of this little part of the garden.

Fred Irons did his first Plein Air painting and he rendered a painting to be proud of! His great use of color enabled him to capture the feeling of the exquisite gardens and the  glorious sunny day.