Saturday marks the beginning of the plein air event - Go Paint! Eau Claire. It began about 5-6 years ago as just Go Paint! in Durand, Wisconsin. Last year it moved to include Eau Claire. I did it for 2 years in Durand and last year was sick during it so I missed out. Hopefully I can shake this cold by this weekend and enjoy it.
The range of the area that you can paint has expanded immensely. It used to be a 10 mile radius of Durand, Wi. Now it goes from Nelson on the Mississippi to Augusta, Wisconsin. It is a 10 mile radius of the Chippewa River and I think they are now including that section of the Eau Claire river also. There are so many things to paint that it is hard to decide what to paint. There is a Quick Paint on Saturday to kick off this event. It is at Phoenix Park in Eau Claire. You will paint from 3-5pm, frame and turn it in and have judging, and awards will be at 6pm. I will go before that to register and get the stamp on the back of the canvases or boards that I want to use during the week. I usually take extra since I do not know what I am going to paint or use. Our house is within the 10 mile radius so I can paint at home. They are including Chippewa Falls so I could paint things there also, but I painted up there so much last year I want to paint something else.
You can paint on your own all week. I think it would be more fun to find a friend to paint with. My husband usually goes with me on some events or trips but oftentimes I am painting alone. I then try to be in a safe public place. When painting you are concentrating on what you are doing and somebody could come up behind you and you wouldn't know. Wednesday is the Tiffany Bottoms trip. It is a nature area and they take you in by a rail car. It is not a train by the usual sense - it is open, more of a logging car. You have to haul all your stuff in on this train so I try to take as little as I can get by with. They also have a biffy car since you are pretty remote and are there for hours. Later in the day there is a dinner at Many Fires in Fall Creek. I didn't do it last year so I don't know what to expect. I guess we start about 3 and paint their area, socialize etc. That should be fun. Friday is the day to turn in your art. You get to put up to 4 on display. I hope I have some good ones.
It is a big range of where you can paint. When it was just Durand there were many interesting things to paint. I have an idea of what I want to do this year but am not sure how much I will actually get done. When I am driving through areas it is like my mind is taking note of scenes to possibly paint. I need to get a county park pass so I can go into those areas also. Whatis nice too is that it doesn't have to be realistic. I think maybe I could do some patterned versions also. Not sure how that will go over.
Here is a partial list of my options -
Home - scenery around the yard, the creek at the back, the horses across the street, chickens,
gardens, flowers, some still lifes with gardening stuff
Close to home - barn falling down, the old gas station, the hill with cows, Lowes Creek, Lowes Creek
Park, fairgrounds
Southside Eau Claire - the river under the highway bridge, the Chippewa Trail, the wayside rest,
Eau Claire - Putnam Park, Carson Park (Braun's Bay), confluence, from the walking path, misc parks,
Points East - Parks, Big Falls, City parks in Fall Creek, Beaver Creek Center, Old Mill, farmland,
beaver dam area, Altoona Parks/fishing scenes, barns
Points North - Lake Hallie, Chip Falls, Lake Wassota, Irvine Park, My friend Sandy's gardens
Points West - bike path on O, Durand, Nelson, train stuff lying around at Tiffany Bottoms, Nelson,
Mississippi River
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