Welcome my friends, to December’s journey of Plein Air 365™ 2013!

Happy New Year, and welcome to what looks like a great New Year!

Well, we’re already into the third week of the new year, and the scenes just keep getting better and better. But before I get too far ahead of myself, I would like to take you back to my journey of a month of nocturnal painting.

December is a month of painting some of the many wonderful lighted Christmas and holiday lights that the mountains and the city provide. This is was a little better than years in the past, as far as the weather goes (even though we had a week of -10 to -20 degrees, not counting the wind chill). Everyone asks, “How do you keep the paints from freezing?” The answer is simple; I use oil paints. They will get a little stiff, and if you use a cheap paint you have to use a little more linseed oil, but a quality oil paint is good up to -20. At least that’s the coldest I’ve been when foolish enough to be out using them.

Speaking of being out in the cold, that was one of the reasons I was on our local Channel 4 News. I was painting the lighting of the Christmas Tree at Evergreen Lake (Dec. 6, 2013). Santa was there to light the tree, and I was there to paint the tree. That was when Channel 4 weather man Dave Aguilera spotted me and was wondering why someone would be out painting in -9 degree weather. If you would like to see my answer to Dave’s question, you can see it here…http://cbsloc.al/KqwwHZ

Also making the news, Outdoor Painter magazine wrote a little blurb commenting on painting in the cold as well. Either I am crazy or people find it fascinating that I do this! http://www.outdoorpainter.com/news/parting-shot-plein-air-christmas.html

Finally, to end the year, we had a nice get-together of family and friends, celebrating around a few big bonfires on the patio. Stocked with some of a few wonderful varieties of chili to help keep us warm, not to mention brats, beer, and some tasty apple pie! To top off the night, I was joined by a group of friends and family standing on a frozen lake to witness me painting the great firework display and ringing in the new year.

There is so much more that I would love to tell you about, but for now, please sit back and relax, and I hope you enjoy December’s journey as much as I did painting it.

May love fill your heart, and art fill your world.

Best Regards,

Ted