2004 Event Photos
Trip to Laguna Beach, California
In May, Sarah and I took a trip to Laguna Beach, California. This wasn't just any trip, it was actually our honeymoon! Believe it or not, Sarah wanted me to bring my paints along, so of course, I did.
Here I am painting away on a small scene of the ocean and coastline.
Here I am getting started on a scene of the beach at Crystal Cove.
While I painted this scene, it so happened that a lady came jogging by and stopped to look at what I was doing. As we talked, she told me that she was trying her hand at painting in her spare time. Before long, she continued on her run and I looked back at my painting. It needed something! As the lady jogged off in the distance, I decided that her bright yellow jacket would help my painting. So I painted her in (along with adding Sarah as she strolled along the shore). Pretty soon the lady came jogging back towards me as she was finishing her run for the day. She stopped by again to see my progress and I showed her that she made it into my painting. She thought that was great and later contacted me and bought the painting!
And here's the happy couple before we headed home.
Random Pictures of Dan Painting
Even though I do a lot of paintings from photographs in the studio, I try to continually paint outdoors to keep training my eyes to see colors and values from life. Photographs can't match the way I see colors and values, so actually painting on-the-spot helps me remember how things really look when I am back in the studio painting from a photograph. Below are several photos of me painting on location.
Here I am in June, painting at Garden of the Gods park in Colorado Springs, Colorado. I paint there fairly often because of the beautiful and unusual scenery.
Trying to finish up!
In July, Sarah and I attended the wedding of one of my cousins in Angel Fire, New Mexico. Somehow I found some time to do a painting! It happened to be across the road from where the wedding would take place.
This is another favorite painting spot in Colorado Springs. It's a historic site called Rock Ledge Ranch.
Here I am painting a café scene during the Rocky Mountain Plein Air Painters 2004 competition in Estes Park, Colorado in August. Looks like I'm about finished!
I also participated in the Quick Draw for the event (all artists must finish their painting within the time limit) and ended up completing this painting in under two hours.
Sarah and I took a short trip to Breckenridge, Colorado in September, and I did some painting at nearby Lake Dillon.