I have enjoyed working on the Opus Daily Practice Challenge for the month of February. This month has travelling in it so I made it easy on myself and did 3" x 3" squares in my working sketchbook, listed the dates and the word prompts and filled them in (trying daily) with things in my world. I did not worry about the date and focused on the word prompt instead. I am on target for finishing this challenge by the end of the month, yay!!

@opusartsupplies, #opusdailypractice, @karenoliversfineart, @canadianartist, @travelsketching

Once again I have taken on this challenge put out by Opus Art Supplies for the month of February. I set up 3" x 3" squares in my working sketchbook with the word prompt and day #. Instead of doing the days in order, I fill whatever box I have an idea for (way less pressure for me) and try to do one a day. I did travel to visit our lovely daughter, husband and 2 grandchildren to get my heart fix for 10 days so did a few ahead and then caught up when I came back.. I've made this challenge small so I can do it and enjoy without to much pressure. 

​@Opusartsupply, #opusdailypractice, #canadianartist, #artchallenge

A gathering of 13 artists were invited again this year to plein air paint at the lovely grounds of the Las Palmas property. We were to find whatever inspired us and tuck ourselves into a shady spot. We had a pool view, casas, fountain area, 2nd floor balcony and beach to choose from. You can tell by the group "works in progress" paintings that there was a lot to choose from. Three of us were painting in oil and the rest in water colour. When the first person had to leave, we gathered our paintings and took a photo. There are always a lot of oohs and ahhhs and questions about techniques and supplies, such a generous and fun group! Oh and did I mention the laughter and conversation at coffee/drinks after?

Villas Las Palmas
12" x 16" plein air oil on canvas pad, # (SOLD off the easel, thank you Lorry for initiating and Elizabeth for purchasing!!)

More fun sketching at Bistro Escondido, this time with the Monday Playa Paint Pals.  I brought along a piece of handmade paper with bits of flower petals in it to try to sketch with. I am not sure what the paper was made from but the water colour and ink just soaked through and did not move or blend. It was also bumpy to ink on. Lesson learned, very pretty but not useful for anything in a sketchbook other than to glue something on (which will be it's use).
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The second sketch I did was on precut sketching paper, not water colour so was not able to blend as I preferred but happy with the result. I did not realize I had not brought actual water colour paper with me that morning. I have precut my variety of papers for my handmade sketch book that I will sew and make covers for when I am home from Mexico.

Travelling again to see family, I thought I would post Lesson 4 in this free online course on collage (it is over now). It has all the parameters listed in the first photo of my sketchbook. These pieces are even larger, now a 5" x 5" square format. The first one is with my painted "found" papers and the photo below it is completed with the "inflight" magazine on our last flight (permission to take one was granted). 

Catherine (Cat) Rains has a free 5 day workshop on her website: https://catherinerains.com/
@karenoliversfineart, #funwithcollage, #canadianartist, #collageclass

Nine artists met around 8:30 a.m. at this hotel and beach restaurant. As always my first choice is to look for shade that hopefully will last the paint out. I tucked myself beside the building on the sand and had a wonderful time watching the fishermen and all the birds coming to feast, food for all! I painted on an 8" x 10" gallery wrapped canvas my friend Peg gave me before she left (a wonderful gift!!). The canvas depth was to deep to sit on my easel so I had to prop it up on a stick. It is interesting to paint when your canvas is not straight! 

​I had arrived a little early as I have a hard time deciding on what to paint and my procrastination then includes chatting to the other artists. I had more time to just focus on what interested me. At first it was the view of the calm ocean through the hammock, then the 3 men fishing.

Monday morning, 10 of us gathered at Viva Maria and headed to whatever interested us. I sat down under a beach umbrella and began to sketch the beached fishing boat. Pelicans and all kinds of birds flocked near the shore to engorge themselves in a fish boil. A lovely husband and wife were getting their fill as well. They filled a large bucket with fish they called "Jorel". In my VERY limited Spanish, we conversed and shared in the delight of watching the fish being caught by both the fishermen and birds!! The sketch below was drawn and painted on location.

I was so enamored with the whole event that I sketched the ones below from photos when I got home!.

I found it interesting as well that they buried the fish in the sand to keep the flies off and rinsed them off in the ocean when it was time to leave (top left you can see the tails by the bucket). The bottom right is the smaller fish their partner caught (waist deep in the ocean with a throwable net) - large bait catches large fish. I would of been happy to catch one of these, as you can tell the size of them by the large bucket lid they are sitting on!