A beautiful weekend with art, hiking and more

I'm having fun experimenting with some new work. The snowy egret (on right) is on "Ampersand Hardbord". I gessoed it and sanded it first.  I am working on this one in my class. I enjoy getting the shapes of the branches and leaves in so that there is some dimensionality to it. I still need to work on the top layer of leaves (not in yet at all) and the layer underneath that also needs to be lightened up. Then I can put another layer on the egret and work on the reflections in the water.

The painting on the left is an experiment from a book, "Brilliant Color, painting vibrant outdoor scenes" by Julie Gilbert Pollard. The book is really for oil painters, putting acrylic undercolors on the canvas first, but I'm planning on using acrylic for the whole piece. That is on the standard canvas panel.  Both of these are 8" X 10". The under layer is done with watered down acrylic paints, just like watercolors.  It is an interesting process.

We did some hiking over the weekend and took the trail up to the fire tower at Oak Hill Trails in Concord/Loudon, New Hampshire.  Fire danger is very high now. Beautiful views from the tower. I saw some pretty blue, very small, butterflies. I think they may have been Karner blues because they are in that area. I think that is Mount Monadnock in the distance on the first photo below.

And to finish off a wonderful weekend, we took part in an event in Derry, New Hampshire at the Etz Hayim Synagogue. Joe & I had a craft table there and sold cards, prints &  books.