THE GREENS OF FLORIDA By Cecelia Lyden

acrylic/canvas

11x14

www.cecelialyden.com

This site of my last paintout in Florida was at a local botanical garden. I arrived early. The sun was still low in the sky and there was lots of deep shade, especially under that unusual tree with the huge trunk. I love the strong shade and sunlight contrasts. The shade was so deep, you can barely see the different sections of the trunk. Otherwise, the lush greens, rich shade and bright sunlight on the tree and some of the plants really were a pleasure to paint. 

YELLOW FLAG, CAUTION By Cecelia Lyden

acrylic/canvas

11x14

www.cecelilyden.com

The winds have been really strong this winter off the Atlantic. Most of the days , a red flag has been displayed on the beach, warning swimmers not to go into the water. Today the sun was strong and the winds were a mere calm breeze, but the yellow flag told swimmers to exercise caution while swimming in the ocean.

BACK YARD PALM By Cecelia Lyden

acrylic/canvas

8x10

www.cecelialyden.com

acrylic/canvas

8x10

www.cecelialyden.com

It was a perfect day for plein air painting yesterday-70's, warm sunshine, light breezes. The sun is always warm here, but the temps have been cooler than normal and the winds, strong enough to blow my easel away.
This palm bush was one of many trees and shrubs growing in Carolyn McNeil's yard. She invited our group to paint there. The palm bush was situated in front of a golden field, and the sun shining on its fronds and the rich shadows were hard to resist.

PALM REFLECTIONS By Cecelia Lyden

acrylic/canvas

11x14

www.cecelialyden.com

It was a gray day, but I decided to paint outdoors anyway. We only have one car in FLA and today was my day to take it. I drove all around Savannas Park, but every site was so grim. I was about to leave when I spied this pretty little scene-palms framing a reflection of palms, beautifully contrasted against a luminous sky.My day was saved. 

DARK AND WINDY MORNING By Cecelia Lyden

acrylic

6x8

www.cecelialyden.com

lyden1819@comcast.net

I've been slowly gathering things , getting ready for our trip back to PA. I had used all my canvases and I, frankly, was getting tired of painting on small supports. So, I packed away all my painting supplies. Silly me. After a few days of observing the many different skies above the ocean without a brush or even paper and pencil, I finally abandoned my notion of preparing ahead of time to travel home. I unpacked all the painting supplies, chose a canvas to paint over, and set everything up on the terrace, where they will stay till we actually leave.

OLD FORT PARK By Cecelia Lyden

acrylic on board
11x14

http://www.cecelialyden.com/

lyden1819@comcast.net

Old Fort Park is on the Indian River in Fort Pierce, FLA. The fort was built during the Seminole Indian Wars in the early 1800's out of palm trees, which did not hold up to the damp weather and time. The park is very small but is the site of many cabbage palms and live oak trees. The swirling, gnarly, overlapping limbs of the pines remind me of Medusa's hair and comprise an interesting contrast to the tall, almost willowy stature of the pines. . The fern-like growth on the limbs is called ressurection fern, because in the spring it changes color from a dead looking brown to bright green.The extreme diagonal growth of these pines cause me to wonder how they remain standing.

I set up my paints in the morning sun and looked across the the bright blue Indian River at sun- drenched condos with orange roofs and soft blue-gray shadows--It was so pleasant painting that morning.

WAITING TO SAIL By Cecelia Lyden

acrylic on stretched canvas

8x10

cecelialyden.com

lyden1819@comcast.net

On a beautiful, sunny, breezy morning I returned to a corner of the Fort Pierce Marina. I met with other plein air painters, some residents, others snowbirds like myself. . It was most enjoyable painting outdoors that morning and to observe the other artists' styles and interpretations of the same same subject.

CHANGING WEATHER By Cecelia Lyden

acrylic

8x10

http://www.cecelialyden.com/

lyden1819@comcast.net

What started out as a warm, sunny morning with a few puffy clouds at the Fort Pierce Marina, rapidly changed into a cool overcast morning as storm clouds began to form. Two weeks ago, I painted alone in the drizzle. Last week the fog was so thick, I could not see the ocean, the horizon-nothing. This week, Tuesday morning looked promising. Several of us showed up to paint. Most of us finished our painting before the threat of rain sent us packing.

PASTEL MORNING SKY By Cecelia Lyden

acrylic

11x14

http://www.cecelialyden.com/

lyden1819@comcast.net

Florida has been much warmer this winter and I'm wondering if the difference in the temperatures might be the reason the sunrises have been so much less intense than they were last year.

Most of the early mornings have been, not only filled with big, dark, puffy clouds, but also haze and fog. Anyway, this morning I worked fast and tried to capture the beautiful yellow light near the horizon, followed by pinkish clouds, the huge dark oninous cloud, which was rapidly breaking up and then the bright blue sky color , where the dark clouds had dispersed. It was early and no boats were out yet-just a couple of soaring birds. What a sight!