NORA KASTEN Artist Oil Painting "Poppy Power" / JOURNEY, Days 8 & 9

"Poppy Power"

© Nora Kasten

Oil painting on gallery wrapped canvas  (6"x 6") From the archives  SOLD

"Yesterday, Monday, Day 8 was more of the same the day before.  Hiking a mile back into the woods, being really cold and damp and watching Stapleton Kearns dab some more paint on his painting.  I hiked back out of the woods to the parking lot at noon and went to Bar Harbor for a nice lunch.  Sure glad that I did too because Susan Roux called me on the cell to tell me not to come back to the painting group but go back to the inn.  She said the rain came pouring down and everyone still there got soaked.  She brought my things with hers back to her car and was leaving too.

Susan and I went out for pizza at a little cafe in town and another artist in our group found us and of course we talked the art.  Too tired to blog when we got back to the inn last night."

Stape at easel

Clem & Patty

Stape's unfinished painting

NORA KASTEN WEBSITE

NORA KASTEN Artist Oil Painting "Anniversary Roses" / THE JOURNEY-Day 7

"Anniversary Roses"

© Nora Kasten

Oil painting on textured linen  (40" x 30")  Artist's collection

"Today is day 7 of The Journey and I'm still not painting.

It's late Sunday afternoon and I came back to the inn after lunch.  We all watched Stapleton Kearns paint another painting this morning after we had hiked a mile from a parking lot in Acadia National Park.  I had to really bundle up to keep warm . . . . it was only 50 degrees and the first hour was misting rain.  I took a big umbrella.  The guys lugged a tent to the painting spot but the misting finally let up and we didn't need it after all.  We hiked on a trail in the woods, next to the ocean until we came to an inlet with a small beach area.  It was neat watching the tide come in as Stape was painting.  

I certainly felt led to attend this workshop and really glad to be here but this lady is not physically fit enough to do what the others are doing.  I can't even guess what will happen tomorrow, our last day.  When Susan Roux gets back to the inn this evening she will fill me in on all the details.  She is so bubbly and enthused it's really great she is here too. 

We were at Otter Cliffs yesterday."

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NORA KASTEN Artist Oil Painting "White Roses" / JOURNEY - DAY 6

"White Roses"

© Nora Kasten

Oil painting on linen  (16" x 20") From the archives  SOLD

"There were ten plus Stape in the workshop today.  We met at the Bass Harbor Campgrounds and then all drove over to a beautiful spot in Acadia National Park, something Cliffs.  I'll think of the name before tomorrow evening.  Stapleton Kearns painted a beautiful water, rocks and mountain scene on a 16" x 20" cotton canvas.  He doesn't want to fight the slackness that occurs in so many of the linen canvases.   I think everybody got a good painting this afternoon.

That is but me.   I just didn't have the stamina left to set up the easel on those big granite rocks, tote my painting gear and then paint.  We'll be at a different spot tomorrow and hopefully it will be easier for me  to maneuver.  Stape is a good teacher.

I talked to another artist in our group who is about the age of my son, John, and learned his dear wife died ten weeks before my beloved Karl passed away.  He, too, is in the same agony of grief and yet was led to take this workshop the same as I was.  Even though I didn't paint today it was good to just be here, breathe in the fresh air coming off the ocean, even the wind felt good.  I only have these two photos to show you and they're not very good.. . .  it will get better."

PS:  I'm the only senior in our group.

NORA KASTEN WEBSITE

(L to R)  James, Stapleton, Kevin, Clem, Steve and Susan 

James & Stapleton in Acadia National Park