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As a Signature Member of the Philadelphia Watercolor Society, I had the opportunity to spend three days painting on the properties of Brandywine River Museum of Art, Chadds Ford, PA. The event was a celebration of Andrew Wyeth's 100th birthday. The properties were Kuerners Farm, the place that inspired Andrew Wyeth , NC Wyeth's house and Studio and Andrew Wyeth's Studio. We were 20 artists and were assigned one location each day. On my first day, Friday July 18 I was painting at Kuerners Farm. I started at 7am, a heavy rain storm was expected around noon. I made a painting of the barn, it was tricky in the humid weather as the paint wouldn't dry. My next painting was a large painting 1/2 sheet Arches, of the shed with the nice turquoise water hose, now the sky had started to clear up and the conditions were great. I finished with a small painting of the interior of the barn. It was a very nice day and no rain. The second day was very hot and I started to paint at 7am at NC Wyeth's house and studio. As I walked around the property I was drawn to the studio, the reflections in the windows and the nice shadows. There was also some apple trees with red apples that caught my eye. I finished my first painting and I was happy with the outcome but I was tired of all the windows. My next painting had to be something more organic, I found a granite rock with green moss and I was able to stand in the shade under a tall tree. On the third and last day my location was Andrew Wyeth's Studio. Wen I arrived I was immediately drawn to the nice shadows on the white building from the surrounding trees, it was like a dance. The painting was like a dance too, the conditions was perfect. I got the chance to take a sneak peek inside the studio. Amazing! I made one more painting looking thru the kitchen window, I saw the nice copper pots and pans hanging over the white stove and the bright green light thru the opposite window. I was very honored to be the recipient of Brandywine River Museum of Art's Award of my painting "Looking Out" It was a very nice event well organized and great people. I feel honored to be able to paint in the footsteps of Andrew Wyeth. My six paintings are framed and hung among 100 painting from this event available at the Chadds Ford Historical Society, PA. Proceeds of the sales goes to Brandywine River Museum of Art. The Art Show and Sale runs between August 25-September 22, 2017. Wednesday to Saturday from 10-4pm. Please visit Chadds Ford Historical Society for more information. Chadds Ford Historical Society 1736 Creek Rd, Chadds Ford, PA 19317 610-388-7376 Lena

Summer is the time when my husband and I travel to Sweden to spend time with family and friends. A summer without visiting the West Coast is no summer in my opinion. There is something special about the small old fishing villages, the white houses and the red boathouses. The fresh wind from the ocean, everything is so beautiful and peaceful. This year we decided to spend a week on the coast and I brought my watercolor stuff. I was determined to paint as much as I could. I sat the alarm clock at 5am every morning and I was out of the door shortly after having my breakfast. I painted in the early morning sun, when the shadows were so beautiful, by 8.30am the sun was so bright and the magical light was gone. A dip in the ocean, a cup of coffee and the morning was just as perfect as it could be. I painted one more painting in late afternoon, early evening when the shadows returned. I finished a total of ten watercolor paintings en Plein Air, outdoors on location, some of them as large as 1/2 sheet. Seven of the ten paintings are "keepers", not bad at all for five days of painting. There was a painting to be painted everywhere I turned, the inspiration was never ending. I usually knew the night before what the next day's subject would be as I planned my painting in my head the night before. We had a wonderful week, my husband went fishing on the cliffs and caught some Spanish Mackerels, family and friends came visiting and grandchildren built sand castles.

I hope you enjoyed reading my blog.

Lena

Looking out over the Island Astol while my painting has to dry.

The finished painting "Sunrise over the Fishing Village"

"Evening Shadows"

"Morning Breeze at the Swedish West Coast"