palm trees

A Sunday Morning in November

| Gina Lento

Today, John and I decided to get out of the house. I have been working on some ornaments over the past couple of days and John installed some sun shades yesterday for our patio. We really didn’t veg out too much yesterday so this morning we just sat outside and enjoyed our morning coffee. We try to leave the weekends open to just relax and, gasp! do absolutely nothing. After coffee and breakfast, we decided to get out of the house. We had no plan in mind until we drove past a new local coffee shop, just a few minutes from the house. After deciding to pop in to see if it was open yet, we were surprised to find that it was open! Apparently the shop is open every day from 7-1 every day and I was ecstatic because now we have two local shops to go to for coffee that are both in Jensen Beach and within biking distance.

After getting two iced coffees, we found a table in the shade. (Almost all the tables are under trees and in the shade, which is nice.) This shop is just across the road from the Indian River Lagoon, and beyond that, Hutchinson’s Island and the Atlantic Ocean. We couldn’t see any of the above because of all of the vegetation but we did enjoy the benefits of a lovely sea breeze.

I have been trying to get out of the studio and back in the habit of outdoor sketching so this seemed like a great opportunity for that. I love Bismarck palm trees with their blue green leaves, so I chose to do the one at the edge of the property, which had lights hanging from it. I pulled out a mechanical pencil and my trusty Lamy Safari sketched the scene. Then I added watercolor. I didn’t have a water container with me but I had water brushes. Unfortunately they chose today to make things difficult. The watercolors I used were a gift from a friend plus I also had use my mini palette, which has colors that I just can’t do without when painting anything green. The brushes were annoying but I managed to get by. (I’ll probably pull them apart after this to see why the water wasn’t flowing down to the brush from the barrel.)

This sketch is the end result of sitting outside drinking an iced coffee and dodging a rain sprinkle or two. It was a nice relaxing morning and John and I had a nice chat while I sketched.

Perfect way to start the day, and week.

Plein air watercolor and ink sketch of a Bismarck Palm. There are two strings of lights on the tree. Sketch has lots of greens, with a little touch of red blooms on a shrub.
Plein Air Sketch at the Crazy Dog
Plein Air sketch scene with art supplies and subject
Plein air sketch with subject and supplies
Plein air sketch with art supplie including a Stuart Semple watercolor palette.
Close up of sketch with supplies

Irma

| Gina Lento

Well Paint the Great South Bay is a wrap.  It went very well and I even made it on the cover of our local newspaper.  We sold paintings, we got tacos and ice cream for sketches, whose better than us?   Now I am on my way to Chincoteague to participate in their plein air event. (John is driving and I have two dog children on my lap.)

So, round 2 with hurricanes to hit the US.  Irma is splashing at Florida’s shores…. But there’s no climate change, what?

My daughter is a resident of Florida now.  We moved her down there in June.  She took Cleo with her which was a little sad because Cleo was raised by Chloe and Mack (our Chihuahuas) and she doesn’t know she’s a cat.  We are a little concerned about Irma, but since my daughter works for Disney, she’ll be on property when the storm hits, she’ll be safe, but Cleo will be at the apartment, just outside of Orlando.

She might put Cleo in the Disney pet lodging….but in the meantime, this little cartoon is my way of dealing with the anxiety of my daughter and Cleo in Florida during this storm.

Another sketch from Stuart, FL

| Gina Lento

Here is another sketch that I did from the waterfront park in Downtown Stuart.  It’s blissfully quiet this time of year.  I like that there are lots of different types of tropical palms and plants, there were lizards running around, and the ibis who was a little “put out” that we took over the picnic table that he was using.  He came running back when we left.  Lol!

After the rain

| Gina Lento

This sketch was done after a storm was clearing out.  The sun was setting and color was just starting to pop before the sun set.  I was lucky with the timing of the evening color happening just as I was adding the watercolor.

These are the same sail boats that I have been sketching, from a different perspective.

Palm trees waiting for the storm

| Gina Lento

I finished a sketchbook while I was down here in Florida so  I will be posting sketches from that sketchbook over the next few days….

This sketch was done at the river front park in Downtown Stuart….I was facing the US 1 bridge that goes over the St Lucie river…

It was stormy when we first arrived… I loved every minute of the storms!