Painting Into the Wind, Long Island

Painting Into the Wind, Long Island

Winter Silo, Long Island6×8″Oil on Panel©Kelly Medford, 2012I’m not sure if this painting tells you just how cold I was while painting it, not to mention negiotiating the howling wind. I forgot about real plein air painting, the kind where you really have to earn that painting!Long Island is a joy and a treat, a gem for landscape painters. The landscape is rich with marshes, beaches, cute towns and farmhouses with barns, tractors, big open land and the list goes on. It also comes complete with seasons like winter just turning to spring.This first painting was done at a cool educational farm somewhere in Suffolk County and was wonderful and complete with beautiful barns, silos and farm animals. The wind was blowing so hard that most of the animals  and their caretakers were closed in the stalls, only the silly painters were braving this weather! We managed to stay a few hours before running for shelter, but despite the cold wind, we were back out again in the afternoon.The Old Green Boat Shed6x8″Oil on Linen Panel©Kelly Medford, 2012The next day it was threatening rain, so we got out there working before the storm hit. My wonderful host, Jeanne Salucci, is not only a multi-talented painter, but she also single handedly organized her local plein air painting group called PALS. She is the person to go paitning with if you’re on Long Island I soon learned, as she is the queen of scoping landscaping spots and has been doing so for the past 3 years.The Boat House, Fireplace Lane8×10″Oil on Linen Panel©Kelly MedfordThis was my last morning here and even though the wind was howling, I got lucky. First I was able to keep my easel up with the painting on it (mostly holding my palette with one hand as I forgot a clip to hold it down) and the sun came out from behind the clouds long enough to get the great light effect of the shadows on the boat and the little building.Jeanne Salucci painting on crazy, windy March down down by the boat dock. Check out her website and if you’re in Long Island you can join her PALS plein air painting group.To see other recent paintings or to purchase a painting CLICK HERE to see them on my website.