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What a fantastic show this was! Thanks to the Plein Air Painters of America for inviting me to participate as a guest artist this year. For those of you who aren't familiar with PAPA, it is a group that was formed fifteen years ago and has held this show in Catalina, CA annually. All the members and guests paint for a week on-the-spot on the Island and then have a show in the Casino's (not a gambling casino) ballroom on Saturday and Sunday. The camaraderie, exchange of ideas, and the general excitement of the artists and collectors was unbelievable and left me both exhausted and inspired!

 

 

Here's John Budicin, one of the hardest working artists I've ever met. From sun-up to sunset, he was out creating his masterpieces.

 

 

Camille Przewodek painting the picturesque Avalon Harbor.

 

 

All the artists bringing their boxes of wet paintings down from their rooms at the Atwater Hotel for pickup on Saturday. Many of the artists had stayed up through the night touching things up, framing, etc. I saw many a bathroom converted into an impromptu studio (the bathrooms had the best light!).

 

 

Gay Faulkenberry looking confident, and why not -- below is the painting she's finishing!

 

 

Wow...

 

 

Ok, John, don't you know that the sun isn't even up yet -- you're making the rest of us look bad!

 

 

One of John Budicin's early morning sketches.

 

 

Joan Marron LaRue with her portable, golf-cart studio.

 

 

Joseph Paquet painting on the bluff overlooking Shark Harbor.

 

 

Joseph Mendez giving George Strickland some free advice -- and believe me, the advice was worth what it cost!

 

 

My good friends, John and Fleming (collectors extraordinaire), watching Ken Backhous painting.

 

 

Karen Vance painting near the Casino's spectacular Art Nouveau entryway.

 

 

Surely I don't even need to tell you who this is!

 

 

One of Ken Auster's barroom gems. I wonder if the Restaurant owners would let him paint inside if they saw what his studio looks like!

 

 

Ken Backhous painting Sarah Beserra, Publisher of The Plein Air Scene http://www.thepleinairscene.com/ a wonderful newsletter/magazine for those Plein Air Addicts among us -- you know who you are!

 

 

Kevin Macpherson doing one of his black-on-black paintings -- I wish someone could just get him to use some color! One of the favorite pastimes of artists, by the way, is to sit around at the end of the day and grouse about how difficult painting was that day -- the bugs, clouds, charging buffalo, and other minor annoyances. Observing that this is one of the best things about being an artist, Kevin told me that he was considering founding a new painting organization called the "Complain-Air Painters of America"... 

 

 

Matt Smith in front of Mike's sporty yellow car that carried Matt, Ralph, me, and Mike all over the interior of the island. It was nice having such a bright object near us since we were warned strenuously that the interior was full of hunters intent on completing the "pig annihilation program". Apparently, in certain lights, artists and wild pigs look very similar. I know that I, for one, have made some Boar-like sounds when paintings aren't going well!

 

 

And here's our fearless guide and driver, Mike Enriquez, who's also an incredible painter! Check out the two paintings below that he did in the interior with us.

 

 

 

I was just blown away by these! Mike's work can be found at Easton Gallery or just e-mail him at [email protected]

 

 

Mary Linda and Jay -- our friends from Laguna Beach who's collection of art puts many museums to shame! Ok, I'll admit it... they do have a lot of Susan and my paintings and I just don't understand why the museums aren't breaking down our doors for our paintings. Maybe we're just using too much paint -- I recently saw a show at a museum that consisted of large, blank canvases except for a single dot somewhere on the surface! All I could think of was how much money the museum could have saved in acquiring these "masterpieces" by having the nearest three-year old forge one for them. Ok, I better stop before I get myself in trouble!

 

 

Ned Mueller with the Casino in the background. Ned told me that I have so many pictures of him on our site that he's going to start charging for the use of his likeness. Well, there is certainly a huge pent-up demand for photos of Ned -- I think the majority of our e-mails contain requests that mention Ned, a thong, and cheeze-wiz....??? Who would have thought!

 

 

Here's a little 12" by 9" sketch I did of Ralph Oberg painting in the interior of the Island.

 

 

Mike watching Ralph Oberg.

 

 

One of Ralph Oberg's paintings of Avalon. He just caught this early morning light perfect! I'd actually taken several photos of this exact scene with the thought of doing something in the studio later -- I'd thought that the lighting effect was just too brief to catch from life, so I was blown away when I saw Ralph knock this one out so quickly one morning!

 

 

Ray Roberts being interviewed by Southwest Art's Bonnie Gangelhoff while doing a street scene. Being such a big celebrity, Ray just couldn't fit the interview anywhere else into his busy schedule!

 

 

Here I am painting at the end of the dock -- thanks to Mike for the photo! Below is one of the two paintings I did from this spot.

 

 

9" by 12"  oil  "Sparkling Avalon"  Scott Burdick

 

 

9" by 12"  oil  "Cotton Wood Canyon"  Scott Burdick

 

 

12" by 9"  oil  "A Famous House"  Scott Burdick

While doing this painting, I noticed a scruffy-looking Sea Gull watching me the entire time. When I'd nearly finished, I stepped away for a moment to check out a painting George Strickland was working on. When I turned back, the Sea Gull was standing on my palette with a big glob of cadmium red in its beak! I ran over and scared it away, but not before it had smeared the red all over itself. Several times during the week I'd hear a child call out to its parents in alarm, "What's happened to that bird!" and, sure enough, there was the Sea Gull, the red oil paint looking like blood. I wonder how many people that week went back with stories of the poor, mauled bird they'd seen! 

 

"My Friend Ned"  oil  12" by 16"  Scott Burdick

 

 

Here I am painting at the end of the pier again -- now that's a red neck! I never should have moved to North Carolina...

 

 

I forgot what I titled this! I guess that's what happens when you sell the paintings the week you paint them.  12" by 16"  oil  Scott Burdick

 

 

I travel completely across the country, to one of the most beautiful locations in the world, and I paint... Ken Backhous!? Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time. Ken, by the way is el-Presidente of PAPA and him and his wife, Debbie, did an enormous amount of work to make this years show such a success. From all of us, Thanks!

 

 

"Painting of Ken"  oil  9" by 12"   Scott Burdick

I think Ken looks kind of like an old time pitcher.

 

Here I am painting Sarah Beserra, Publisher of The Plein Air Scene http://www.thepleinairscene.com/, along with Ken Backhous. I was so exhausted by the end of the week that I'd decided not to paint any more for the day, but once I saw the sparkling backlight on Sarah, I just couldn't resist!

 

 

"Shark Harbor"  oil  9" by 12"   Scott Burdick