I adored "Paint-by-Number" as a kid. I would beg my mom to buy me a kit when on vacation. I was lucky to get one or two a summer and I cherished them. All those pale blue lines around little blue numbers, eight plastic pots of paint and two days later, a horse and a barn appeared. Or a wolf, howling from atop a rock. Or a lion mom and her cub. Wow. So satisfying.
When I return from an "Easel" trip, I have a canvas from each state with outlines of the composition and colors lightly washed in. I also have images, though they are forever flat and greyed. (I print them on cardstock from my computer.) Sometimes, I don't even have that much. For Delaware I have two watercolors, some images and a blank canvas.
The task of bringing these to life can be daunting. When I finally begin to paint, I rely most on the colors and drawing from my plein air beginning. And with this group of four, I realized - I had created my own paint-by-numbers to follow! It's a natural for me. Sure, I look at the printed image, but that is only to assure myself that I am on the right track. What I really do is fill in the spaces that are already there. Ahhh! SO satisfying!
Of course this does not guarantee a good painting, but with "Easel" I don't have time to care. So, these four are finished. They are in order of my visits. I like some much more than others. You decide.
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| Pennsylvania, McConnell's Mill State Park |
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| Maryland, near Annapolis |
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| Delaware, Fenwick Island State Park |
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| New Jersey, View from Fort Mott |
