Art

Back to the Drawing Board

/ Tamara Brown / 4 Comments

So far 2023 has brought renewed health and interest in art after 2022’s 100 Day Project came to an abrupt halt when illness derailed all my plans for the rest of the year. The long creative drought through many dark days has encouraged my love of all things bright and cheerful this year. I’ve finally taken to heart my own message that I repeated like a mantra throughout all my Arts in the Parks programs: don’t worry about mistakes and above all JUST HAVE FUN!

To honor my mantra I’m participating in 2023’s 100 Day Project challenge by creating word art (any subject, any medium) for 100 days. Without the restrictions I normally impose on myself, I’m actually eager to complete a quick drawing every day lasting no more than fifteen minutes while listening to my favorite radio shows. And suddenly twenty days have flown by!

Here’s the first set:

Each day I sit down and draw what comes to mind and have realized that my daily scribbles are becoming a sort of graphic diary, if nothing more than a note on the weather. I’ll be able to look back and see what I was thinking or doing on a particular day while I practice better hand-eye coordination and color choices.

Like baseball players in spring training, I’m limbering up my art muscles for a creative season in the garden with plans for colorful garden art and structures. Of course the operative word will continue outside too. Let’s have FUN this year!

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Almost Halfway

/ Tamara Brown / 2 Comments

The cold weather in March kept me inside busy with my 100 Day Project rather than battling the elements outside. The slow start with emerging vegetation sent me scrounging for subject matter and becoming punchy enough to create some anthropomorphic fruit, veg and celestial bodies:

I also took advantage of dead things:

Then there were the reliable houseplants:

And finally some fleeting spring ephemerals that I was lucky enough to catch:

I’m edging closer to the halfway mark for my 100 days and feeling a bit winded in this journey. I may have to switch up my style and medium to add some variety. I’ve been enjoying my ink pens and watercolor pencils but will venture into new territory soon.

Until next month when I hope to have more to show with my outdoor art, stay safe and enjoy the spring!

The 100 Day Project 2022

/ Tamara Brown / 2 Comments

February’s snow and frigid temps kept me indoors and creating art based on my houseplants and photos from warmer times. I decided to join the 100 Day Project challenge on Instagram which I attempted in 2017 and lasted for 80 days of park art. This time the subjects will be small drawings of plants, seeds and fruit captured with their life force, auras or “spirits” around them. The hashtag on Instagram is #100daysofplantspirits if you’d like to check out my progress. So far I’ve been allotting a brief half-hour or so to create every day, a welcome relief from the stresses of living right now.

So far I’ve explored plant personalities from onions to herbs, healing to wholesome.

And in some cases I’ve celebrated the scales of an acorn, new growth emerging from the ground or the date I ordered tomato seeds.

My materials for the last fourteen days have included regular colored pencils, watercolor pencils and permanent ink Pigma Micron pens for the outlines. I hope to collect all the 100 Day art in a watercolor Moleskine that I’ve been using for many years. Maybe I’ll finally fill it up!

I’m looking forward to a daily practice that sharpens my rusty skills and improves my attention to detail while encouraging playful creativity. Hopefully March will bring warmer weather, new raised beds and some garden decorating. Stay tuned!

Back to the Garden

/ Tamara Brown / 4 Comments

It’s been two years since I completed the final art grant and posted Paints in the Parks’ last event. In that time eye surgeries, complications from those procedures, and the pandemic shut down my interactions with the public and my plein air painting. But not my creative spirit.

What follows is a brief overview of the small, fanciful and infinitely rewarding art projects that have enriched the creative spark that would not die despite days in bed, foggy vision, scarce resources and my daily anxiety caused by an uncertain future.

Primrose
Tradescantia zebrina
Bluebells
My first attempts after adjusting to my new eye vision in 2020 used mixed media with tissue paper, iridescent watercolors, and watercolor pencils outlined in ink based on houseplants and photos.
In the winter of 2021 I utilized items found in my yard and on neighborhood walks such as leaves, acorns and pinecones (even a pole bean) to create a wall hanging and nature mandalas.
Last summer I used a variety of supplies and found objects to create art for the yard, including iron spikes (mushroom stems) that may be from a circus that wintered over in our neighborhood in the early 1900s! My family helped paint the mushroom tops molded from air-dry clay. Unfortunately someone found them tasty because they were gradually nibbled away by the fall.

In 2022 I’m looking forward to new projects with garden art, including an old set of windows that I can’t wait to paint, outdoor mandalas, art journaling and some landscape design. I’ll take you along with me, and hope that my adventures (or misadventures) give you a few ideas inspired by nature. Until next month, happy creating!

The Completed Quest

/ Tamara Brown / 2 Comments

Summaries of all the parks with a photo of the scene that was painted were prepared in advance.
The twenty-five park paintings were displayed around the room with their summaries and brochures.
One last chance to wear my bicentennial state park shirt with all the parks checked off on the back while discussing my equipment and art supplies.
We also displayed all of the postcards that Arts in the Parks participants had gifted us over the years as well as examples of the watercolor field kits we used.
We got a kick out of all the painting participants who jumped right in to creating art.
The painting activity even expanded to other tables!
The painting table was always busy at our final Arts in the Parks event.
These are some of the paintings from 2018 and 2019.
Participants enjoyed seeing state parks that they’d visited before and discovering parks that were new to them.
It was fun to see artists of all ages in action. Even the very young can use those water brushes with the water in the handles.
These artists were deep into the creative process.
We end with the question that has traveled with me through every state park for four years. And now my spider friend and I leave that question for you. Why do YOU paint?

 

Paints in the Parks’ final event for 2019 took place on a beautiful Saturday in October at Mounds State Park near Anderson, Indiana. Known for its prehistoric earthworks and the Bronnenberg House built by one of the area’s first European settlers, the park also offers plenty of trails, beautiful views of the White River and an excellent Nature Center where our last painting activity and art show were offered in the spacious community room.

Twenty-five paintings either finished on site as plein air or touched up in the studio were on display along with a brief description of each state park, the date visited and a photo of the scene that was painted. A flyer from every park was also provided with maps of the trails. The art exhibit encompassed all four years of Indiana’s  Arts in the Parks grant projects beginning in 2016 to celebrate the state’s bicentennial anniversary and the state parks’ centennial anniversary.

Visitors were also encouraged to try out the water brushes and other watercolor supplies provided to create art in the park one more time. Sixty participants created their own artwork on small watercolor blocks to take home as souvenirs of their visit. It was great to see old friends and participants from previous park visits as well as new faces stop by to join the painting activity and check out the artwork.

All in all, we couldn’t have asked for a better finale to our four-year Arts in the Parks grant project and our quest to paint in all the marvelous state parks in Indiana. Paints in the Parks thanks the staff at Mounds and the entire Indiana Department of Natural Resources for their support over the years. This project was made possible by funding from the Indiana Arts Commission and the state of Indiana. And special thanks to all the new friends and artists we’ve met over the years. May all of you continue to create art in nature.

While this is the conclusion to our four-year project with the Indiana Arts in Parks program, Paints in the Parks will continue with our mission to creatively connect folks of all ages and experience to nature through art. We’ve recently moved and look forward to painting (and encouraging others) in the many parks and wildlife reserves in the rolling hills of southern Indiana, also home to a rich history in the traditions of arts, crafts and plein air painting.

We wish our readers a happy 2020 and hope that you will continue to follow us in our artistic adventures on this website and our Facebook page Paints in the Parks!

Bucolic Brown County

/ Tamara Brown / 2 Comments

I began the day with an oil painting at the Weed Patch Hill vista.
Some visitors stopped by to discuss painting materials and art projects.
The sun began to peak out by the end of the morning to reveal just the beginnings of fall color.
The art activity took place at Brown County’s wonderful visitor’s center that was also hosting their nature fair. I set up next to the butterfly display table that also offered milkweed seeds to plant.
Still promoting those water brushes on the final day of the program!
I admired the dedication of this group of artists although my knees hurt just thinking about it!
Artists were everywhere, including the gravel path next to the wildflower gardens.
Many art participants took advantage of the benches overlooking the spectacular view that makes Brown County a favorite destination, especially during the fall foliage season.
The whole family got in on the action despite the hard concrete.
I love to see everyone in the group creating art, including the adults.
The nearby picnic shelter provided plenty of tables to spread out and paint.
My Koi field watercolor kit was available for artists to try out as they painted.
And here’s the whole collection from the previous group. Way to go!
I ended the day at Brown County’s popular Hesitation Point vista. Even though the clouds prevented a spectacular sunset, I had a chance to visit while painting my second vista with chalk pastels.
After a very busy day, I was ready to sit down on the job and relax for this final painting.
The completed pastel on 8″ x 10″ Ampersand panel.

Paints in the Parks’ last park visit to complete our 4-year project (before the art exhibit in October) took place on a busy Saturday during Labor Day weekend in Brown County State Park. Established in 1929 as the largest park in the state, Brown County is located in the rolling hills of southern Indiana near the university town of Bloomington. During the 1930s the Civilian Conservation Corps restored the cleared slopes of the park with plantings of black locust, black walnut and other trees to help stop erosion while building many of the existing buildings, shelters, roads and lookout tower.

Brown County is famous for its vistas that overlook miles of wooded hills, especially during peak foliage season in the fall.  That is where I set up in the morning across from Weed Patch Hill to capture still-green leaves on the last day of August. The overcast day brought a hint of autumn chill on the breeze as I worked with my oil paints and talked to visitors who stopped by on foot or by car on this busy holiday weekend. With its 70 miles of bridle trails, 20 miles of hiking trails and 27 miles of mountain biking paths, this park has plenty to keep you busy. You can also stay at their large campground, rustic cabins or the Abe Martin Lodge after your busy day of activities.

After finishing my  8″ x 10″  oil painting (I’m getting faster after four years!) in good time, we headed down the road to the Nature Center where a nature fair was underway full of informative exhibits and fun activities for the whole family. We were lucky enough to set up our painting activity next to the DNR table with a display of butterflies and milkweed seeds to plant. Its proximity also offered excellent subject matter to paint in addition to the wildflower garden nearby still in full bloom.

We had a tremendous turnout that day with 66 children and grownups participating in our painting activity, rivaling the attendance at O’Bannon Woods State Park on a Labor Day weekend two years ago. You could find artists everywhere including the Nature Center’s outdoor benches by the overlook, the porch floor and in the gravel path! Even a brief rain shower couldn’t deter visitors from trying out the water brushes and art supplies. We were really happy with our Art in the Park program’s outreach on the final park visit, and the smiles on visitors’ faces made the ambitious schedule and 23 painting activities all worthwhile.

In the afternoon I spent a couple of relaxing hours at the Hesitation Point overlook working with a pastel on Ampersand board. The gritty texture grabs the chalk pastels nicely for more intense colors in the waning daylight. Many stopped by to talk about my painting and show me their artwork. It was a delightful and fitting way to wrap up my Arts in the Parks visits.

But we aren’t finished yet! Stay tuned for highlights from Paints in the Parks’ art exhibit and painting activity held in October at Mounds State Park in Anderson, Indiana. Until then, happy creating in whatever way you enjoy.

Shining Waters at Shakamak

/ Tamara Brown / 2 Comments

For the morning painting demonstration, I chose a spot near the fishing pier on Lake Shakamak, one of three reservoirs in the park.
My first visitors for the day were staying at the park’s modern campgrounds for the weekend.
My painting for Shakamak features “the dock to nowhere,” all that remains of a 32-foot diving tower used for Olympic diving trials and national meets from the 1930s through the 50s. Athletes such as Esther Williams and Johnny Weissmuller (Tarzan) competed here before moving on to Hollywood.
I was impressed with the attention to detail found in the shelter’s extensive brickwork and wood trims. Many of the buildings and structures at Shakamak were constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 30s.
We are always glad to see everyone in the family participating in the art activity.

Paints in the Parks spent one of the most gorgeous days of the summer at Shakamak State Park in August. Created in the late 1920s from land donated by three Indiana Counties south of Terre Haute, Shakamak owes its name to the Native Americans who aided Tecumseh in his famous efforts against the U.S. and offers three manmade lakes totaling more than 400 acres. Recreational opportunities found at the park include fishing, boating, camping and hiking as well as swimming at the impressive aquatic center serving the needs of the farming community for miles around.

I spent the morning painting what I called “the dock to nowhere” on Lake Shakamak which is a remnant from diving towers that were used for swimming competitions and Olympic trials by celebrities such as Esther Williams and Johnny Weismuller. All that’s left now is an enigmatic section of dock that underscored my plein air scene. While enjoying a pleasant spot in the shade cast by a nearby grove of trees, I visited with early-rising campers who stopped by during their morning walks to check out what I was doing.

For the afternoon I moved to the spacious brick and timber pool shelter, one of many structures built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps. I set up my painting activity on tables overlooking the busy aquatic center, and spent the rest of the day having some great conversations with families who stopped in to try out the water brushes and other art supplies. Many were taking a break from swimming to cool off in the shelter in their swim suits, appropriate attire for watercolors!

While Shakamak is off the beaten path, we highly recommend a trip to this beautiful park with its aquatic history and gleaming lakes. The park’s aquatic center, modern campground, family cabins, abundant wildlife and miles of trails are definitely worth a trip to the west central side of the state.

Land of Lincoln

/ Tamara Brown / 4 Comments

The overcast skies and cool temps provided the perfect painting weather.
I found a great spot to view the log cabin built by the CCC in the 1930s that is now used as a boat rental. Note the nearby grill that made a handy sign holder.
Our location close to the campground encouraged campers to stop by and check out the program and painting progress.
I was happy to include the pretty waterlilies in my painting this time and channel Monet!
After making good progress on my park painting, it was time to move on to the wonderful porch overlooking the swimming beach with plenty of tables and shade from colorful umbrellas.
The tables provided an intimate setting to work on art.
When we ran out of tables, eager artists sat on the floor. Now that’s dedication!
An artist focused on her work.
We gathered together all the paintings by one family over the course of the afternoon. They remarked about how relaxing it was.
I had a chance to keep working on my little log cabin from a different angle late in the afternoon.
Our visit to the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial right across the road from the state park to a flock of heritage sheep and a picturesque worm fence.
A bronze-cast sill and hearthstones symbolize a cabin that the Lincolns began building in 1829.
The park offers a living historical farm with a replica of what the Lincoln family cabin and farmstead may have looked like.
Lincoln’s mother Nancy Hanks Lincoln is buried on the grounds of the national park.

In July Paints in the Parks made the long car trip to Lincoln State Park in the southernmost part of Indiana where young Abe Lincoln spent part of his youth. Established in 1932 as a memorial to the 16th president’s mother, the 2,026 acres of this state park are also home to Lincoln’s sister Sarah’s gravesite, the Lincoln amphitheater, and a bicentennial plaza with markers illustrating various milestones of Abe’s life in Indiana.

I set up my easel for the morning at the edge of Lake Lincoln to paint the log cabin boat rental that was formerly a ranger cabin built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, who also planted most of the trees and created many trails in the park during the Great Depression. My location was near the extensive electric campground, so I received plenty of visitors while I painted the cabin and blooming waterlilies with my water-mixable oils.

After a busy morning and a good start on the painting, I spent the rest of a beautiful summer day at the park’s new porch overlooking the park’s swimming beach, where I offered my hands-on painting activity to swimmers and picnickers on their way to the beach, the restrooms or the convenient camp store inside the beach house. All afternoon, fellow artists grabbed their paints and water brushes to create artwork under the shade of table umbrellas placed around the deck with a cool breeze and a great view of the beach — definitely one of the nicest settings I’ve experienced for the painting activity!

I was even able to continue work on my painting of the log cabin from a different angle on the deck and wrap up a very pleasant day at a beautiful state park that bears our 16th president’s name. During this trip, we also took advantage of a free visit to the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial across the road from the state park entrance, which includes a stunning Art Deco memorial building and visitor’s center, the living 1820s historical farm, a bronze casting of the Lincoln’s cabin and Nancy Hanks Lincoln’s gravesite.

It was truly an honor to paint and walk the grounds where Abe lived and worked from age seven to twenty-one. I highly recommend visits to both these parks–you won’t be disappointed!

Scenic Salamonie

/ Tamara Brown / 2 Comments

A sturdy shelter by the Wildlife Management Pond provided the ideal spot to paint despite rain showers.
It was also the perfect gathering spot for visitors to check out what I was painting that day.
I always look forward to great conversations with park visitors about creative interests that we share.
I was able to get a good start painting this beautiful location accompanied by the chatter of many red-winged blackbirds.
For the Paints in the Parks hands-on painting activity, we relocated to the lobby of the Interpretive Center, with its informative exhibits and tempting merchandise.
The center’s community room provided plenty of tables and space indoors to paint and try out the water brushes on a rainy day. Note the owl on display for artistic inspiration.
We had lots of participants sharing ideas and supplies.
I enjoyed spending the afternoon with this talented lady who was helping at the Interpretive Center that day. She painted a gorgeous landscape.
These young artists not only tried out the watercolors and water brushes, but also the watercolor pencils and crayons.

 

In June, Paints in the Parks traveled to the rich countryside of north-central Indiana to paint at Salamonie Lake State Park, a property which includes 40 ponds, abundant marshes and a 2,665-acre lake that is part of a trio of Upper Wabash reservoirs that have saved millions of dollars in flood damages downstream. Leased and managed by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, the reservoirs’ water levels and dams are regulated by the US Army Corps of Engineers.

While Salamonie Lake and its surrounding properties offer boating, swimming and fishing opportunities as well as a modern campground with gorgeous views of the lake, the state’s recent historic rainfall put the reservoir’s primary purpose to good use.  By holding back the amount of water released from the dam, the reservoir’s water levels were quite high when we visited, thankfully preventing the towns and cities nearby from suffering the catastrophic flooding that used to occur before this system was built.

Even though the wet weather continued on the day of our program, I spent the morning in a shelter overlooking the park’s wildlife management pond that was located above the lake’s flood levels.  True to its name, the pond and surrounding habitat were full of birds and judging by the folks who came with their bait and poles, fish too! As a gentle rain fell, folks took cover in the shelter and watched me paint the pond and picturesque dead trees that stood like sentries amid the marsh grass. Regular visitors told me about the history of the local area and the many activities sponsored by the park and its recreational areas.

After a productive morning the gentle rain turned into a steady downpour, so we relocated to the lobby of the world-class Upper Wabash Interpretive Center which contains a fine collection of interactive reservoir exhibits, cultural and natural history,  wildlife viewing and a children’s room, not to mention tempting merchandise. Just around the corner of the building you’ll also find the Salamonie Raptor Center housing live birds of prey and an extensive garden full of flowers, herbs and vegetables.

Despite the deluge outside, damp but dedicated campers and park guests arrived to participate in my hands-on art activity, with plenty of room to spread out and create their masterpieces in the center’s well-equipped meeting room complete with a sink and paper towels which we don’t usually have access to outside. The naturalist even displayed an owl for inspiration. We had a good turnout despite the weather, and there was still time to check out the live animal exhibits and the interactive model of the water management system before we left.

I highly recommend a visit to Salamonie Lake and its surrounding properties to appreciate the beauty, history and environmental importance of the Upper Wabash reservoirs as well as the recreational opportunities provided. The welcome and hospitality we received from staff and local volunteers warmed our hearts even without the sunshine that day.

Views of Versailles

/ Tamara Brown / 4 Comments

After a long winter, it felt good to get outside and paint the 230-acre manmade lake in Indiana’s second largest state park.
A fellow artist and painter from Valporaiso stopped by to chat while camping at Versailles for the weekend.
There was free fishing for everyone this particular Saturday in May. One visitor dropped by before catching her first fish of the day.
Our art activity was set up in the shade of the Nature Center for the afternoon.
We had a steady flow of visitors checking out the art supplies and a display of oil paintings from various state parks.
We found that the best spot for engaging visitors with art was right next to the most popular destination that afternoon–at the camp store selling ice cream!
My final stop for the day was a shady spot across the lake from where I painted in the morning. A quick watercolor in my moleskin using my favorite Koi watercolor set was a perfect cap to a special day.

Paints in the Parks was grateful to visit Versailles State Park on one of the few warm, sunny days in May. Our first program of 2019 was offered as part of National Kids in the Parks Day and a free fishing day at all Indiana state parks. While many fish were caught and released that day, many paintings were created as well.

Most of the day was spent near Versailles’ 230-acre lake built in the 1950s as an area water supply and recreation outlet. While fishing and boating are still permitted, the swimming pool complex, complete with waterslide, has replaced the lake for swimming activities. Versailles State Park also holds the honor of becoming Indiana’s first federal park in the 1930s when the Civilian Conservation Corps built the park’s infrastructure and erosion controls. In 1937, the National Park Service deeded the property to the state of Indiana to become Indiana’s second-largest state park.

I spent a pleasant  morning painting a particularly picturesque tree that cast interesting shadows against the backdrop of Versailles Lake with its fishermen and boaters. In the afternoon, I set up my hands-on painting activity in the shade of a centrally located building housing the nature center and camp store (which was very busy selling ice cream on this hot afternoon!) I interacted with plenty of folks taking advantage of the opportunity to fish without a permit in any state park this particular Saturday, and a bird watching group that gathered to hike one of many paths through hardwood forests full of a variety of wildlife, habitats, fossils, sinkholes and springs.

Despite the unusually hot temperatures that we hadn’t felt yet this year, quite a few artists joined me to paint at the table or a nearby bench while we talked about the Arts in the Parks program and their favorite subjects to paint. Many who were camping for the weekend came to the camp store for supplies, and found art as well!

After spending a pleasant few hours offering the painting activity, I relocated to a shady spot across the lake from where I’d painted in the morning with oils, and added a quick watercolor to my moleskin journal. We packed up and hit the road right before a big thunderstorm arrived to cool off the evening. As always, Paints in the Parks thanks the Versailles park staff and the Indiana Arts Commission for another successful visit to the parks.