Travelogue

 Sneak preview of my next publication, a tropical travelogue...

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Mike Hoover (Transit Art Gallery & Gifts and Transit Art Building) will have a show with local area Artist, Lane a'Day (Visual Artist known for Fine Art Painting / Plein Air / Art Publications / Art Education / Filmmaking) titled "Different Visions" at Graffiti Gallery, 228 Seneca Street, Oil City, PA. Opening Reception 5-8:30 PM, Friday, November 3, 2023. The artists have been practicing individually +30 years while additionally showing and creating together for over the last decade. Hoover creates using encaustic painting and suiseki ("wet stone") sculptures. a'Day primarily creates fine art paintings in plein air ("open air") style. The couple will be showing at Graffiti Gallery during November 2023, Fridays through Sundays, 11AM to 4PM, open as late as 7PM on Black Friday, 11/24/2023 for Free portraits by a'Day. Visit and sit for 5-20 minutes and take home your free portrait! Additional events (all Free/Open to the Public) include: Plein Air demonstrations by a'Day near Rainbow Bridge / TAB gardens and on Seneca Street during November 10-12; Alla Prima (wet on wet live painting) demonstrations by a'Day in Graffiti Gallery during November 17-19; Presentation discussion by a'Day, "Reaching You: Communication in Art Appreciation" with Hot Chilli Pot eats in the Gallery on November 25th; Encaustics Demonstration by Hoover beginning Noon and Closing Reception at 2PM in the Gallery on November 26th. General viewing of Hoover and a'Day works throughout November when open.

Niagara Falls

Irises

 Enjoying neighborhood irises.

Alla Prima Studies

 Dragon fruit sketch.

Drawing Sampler

 

Educational Art Press

Samplings from published books.

https://www.blurb.com/user/EduArtPress

Seascapes

Pacific Northwest and the great outdoors. On-site, full size, en plein air. Lane a'Day and Mike Hoover at Innis Park Studios in Oils City, PA

Attic Studio

New attic studio in Oil City, Pennsylvania.

Art Library

Latest editions to the +470 volume art library here at Innis Park Studios. Oversized book shelf represents +/-20% of the current collection.

Classroom

Traditional 4-hour classical fine art and relaxed 2-hour paint-party craft painting.

Traditional Classical Painting with Lane a'Day

 

Palette

 

Many artists use a modest palette or may work from primary colors (red, blue, yellow) with white. Here is a snapshot of a standard field palette that includes nineteen (19) hues (utilized for "Big Sur," December 2021). It is my customary practice to use an array of warmer and cooler hues for: purple, red, yellow, green, and blue, color groups. For some decades, all of my work has been executed with acrylic pigments; therefore, this is a portable field, water-tight tray (that features, not shown here, a gasket lid with additional pull out tray for mixing). To enhance chemical integrity, it is rare, if at all, where I cross blend manufacturer's pigment lines, let alone different manufacturer's pigments. This is one (1) of about four (4) lines I currently have stocked. Each line I maintain has approximately 20-40 pigment selections. It features a vehicle base that is not best suited for field work due to quick drying time.

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Big Sur Plein Air

Big Sur I

acrylic / archival board

11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., December 5, 2021

Big Sur II

acrylic / archival board

1:00 - 3:00 p.m., December 5, 2021

A life-long dream, it was a beautiful day to finally take in some en plein air along the California, USA, coast near Bixby Creek Bridge in Big Sur. The area is well known for its plunging cliffs and brilliant turquoise-teal waters. Managed to complete a double session of field sketches under ever shifting and moving coastal fog. As usual, the wind picked up around 4:00 p.m. as the sun moved west on this early December day.

Southern footing of Bixby Creek Bridge is visible in the left of this snapshot.

Surface sunlight dancing off waters is more inland as I finish up this image.

Field kit includes a standard tripod with two plein air fittings.

Above/below snaps: Easy to see how coastal fog and the winter sun move across the terrain.

Work was completed from 11:00 a.m. to about 3:30 p.m. (with 30-40 minute lunch).

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An array of brushes organized in a common canvas roll for en plein air field painting.  If I can complete a painting, any painting, using only one to three brushes, I'm happy.  Long and short handle: flats, brights, filberts, angle, fan, round, mop, rigger, and a few script, brushes. As an acrylic artist, I prefer Taklon synthetics.

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