Painting All Things "INTERIOR"

This was painted three years ago au plein air.

Had had a miserable week.

Lost a dear friend who left us suddenly.

Had a great disappointment with a canceled trip to be with family I hadn't seen in years. 

But packed up my art supplies and headed for the Baton Rouge Botanical Paint Out, which I had entered months before.

Spotted this bunch of roses growing by a treliss and knew that was my scene.

As I painted, I felt sore with grief, yet the very act of pushing paint around soothed my mood and gave me purpose. Also, the semi-detached state of mind gave me distance from the usual painter's anxiety of getting things "just right".

The result was that I painted quickly, recording values, swatches of color and shape impressions, enjoying every brushstroke.

The event was Baton Rouge's Botanical Garden first plein-air paint-out. About thirty artists worked from early morning to late afternoon for three days in the gardens behind the main library. In the afternoon of the third day, we were to meet in one of the library's  reception rooms for a "Wet Paint Sale".

As I entered the spacious room, I was pleasantly surprised at the large turn-out. I had three paintings, including the one shown, which I called "Sunlit". Somewhere along the line I missed the instruction to bring display easels, so I simply stood my paintings on a table against the wall, and went to sit by a friend.

Again, I was in a semi "daze" my mind on my loss, on the funeral and on missing my family I couldn't travel to meet.

Then I see the event's coordinator coming toward me with a big smile. Why is she smiling at me like that? What did I do?

"'Sunlit' won first place People's Award!" She was saying.

Looking over at my painting, I also saw the tell-tale red dot. The painting had sold! Ans so had another.

Then I was up in front of everybody, receiving a potted orchid and everyone was clapping.

Was so proud, so surprised and so grateful.

Thank you, Lord, I needed that.