Wekiva Paintout

On March 5th, I went to the the 7th Annual Wekiva Paintout at Wekiva Landing (1014 Miami Springs Blvd. Longwood, Fl). The  paintout is a week long Plein Air painting event with artists from across the country participating. I’m not really a Plein Air painter, I was just there to draw. I walked the property searching for artists at work. I was tempted by a woman painting next to some bright green canoes but to stay in the shade, I would have to sketch her from a distance.

As artists finish their paintings, they hang them in a tent next to the docks. Larry Moore, one of my favorite local artists had one painting on display. One woman did small paintings of turtles on logs. She must go out in a canoe to get such intimate scenes.  Now that I think about it, turtles must make good models since they seldom move. I however was hunting for the elusive artist which also stays quit still when painting.

At the corner of the parking area where a stream runs into the Wekiva River, Charles Dickson was painting alongside Cynthia Edmonds. They have been painting in the Wekiva Paintout since its inception. They didn’t mind my sitting down to watch them work. Charles was working on a tiny little canvas observing the tree and river. Cynthia’s canvas was a bit larger with vibrant colors. They both lamented the fact that small paintings take just as much time as large paintings.

As the sun slipped towards the horizon, no-see-ums began coming out in small clouds and nipping at my arms. Darn bugs, this is one reason I’m seldom found painting outdoors in Florida. I lost my shade and was blinded by the white sketchbook page. Cynthia saw my situation and offered me her umbrella. We attached it to a green metal hand cart that Charles had used to move his paint supplies. It worked like a charm. It was fun working besides other artists, joking and telling stories. I should look into attending the paintout next year.