Trail at Lost Creek

Trail at Lost Creek, 12 x 16 in.

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Austin has many preserved green spaces--greenbelts, and there are so many wonderful walking/running trails that wind through them. This one follows a small cliff for a while and is so peaceful--it can make me feel instantly like I'm out of the city.

-julie davis

Lost Creek Footpath

Lost Creek Footpath, 8 x 6

Our Plein Air Austin painting group just returned last night from a weekend annual trip--what a fantastic time we had! There were 23 of us--we went to the Hunt/Kerrville area and had two and a half days of non-stop painting and camaraderie with great friends....and the area was gorgeous. So much to paint. I wasn't as thrilled with my product as I'd hoped to be, but I learned plenty and am energized to work on some larger pieces in the studio from the studies I did. I'll post some of that work in the coming days.

As far as this piece goes, the last time our plein air class was at Lost Creek (a neighborhood here in Austin), we painted along part of the Barton Creek Greenbelt that runs through it. This trail was a little off-shoot of the main trail, and led down to the water. I can't seem to resist a trail right now....

-julie davis

A Fresh Start

A Fresh Start, 12 x 9

Yesterday our class went out to Lost Creek again here in Austin--the greens are popping everywhere and I was a bit overwhelmed with the hue of them. This tree in particular must have just leafed out last week--a true fresh start.

-julie davis

Overcast Morning Cedar

Overcast Morning Cedar, 8 x 10

Austin got a good bit of rain today, but before it really poured, our plein air class met near a creek (and under a bridge to avoid the drizzle) in Austin's Lost Creek neighborhood. I'm sure we were quite a sight as we were all set up and stashed under a bridge like a family of trolls! The view was beautiful, though, and we all painted this cedar tree using a block in method that Kevin Macpherson uses--blocking in with large shapes and obvious color within the shadow, then light families, then moving on to detail after we had it blocked in.

-julie davis

Canyon Path

Canyon Path, 8 x 10

Working with the same palette here of my black mix, cad yellow, and white. It works for the gray days or mornings when the light is not over the treetops yet. This path winds along Lost Creek here in Austin.

-julie davis

Trail Through the Canyon

Trail Through the Canyon, 6 x 8

I painted this over the weekend from a photo I'd taken while out with Laurel last week.  There are a number of places I could visit every day because they're so full of painting opportunities. Lost Creek is one of them.  

And as far as painting a single area multiple times goes, one of my favorite area artists, V....Vaughan, did just that with her "Last Year on the Farm" series.  You really should see the body of work.  Her family sold their farm near Austin in 2007, and anticipating the move from a place she loved so dearly, she committed to a painting a day (and sometimes more) of the land-- a labor of love.  Check it out if you have the time (click here to go to her blog).

-julie davis

Lost Creek Trail

Lost Creek Trail, 6 x 8

Today was a gorgeous Monday in Austin--a day when I feel lucky to live here (most days I do, actually). I ended up in a shady spot with my friend and mentor, Laurel Daniel, whose post today you should really see--she's an amazing painter, but an even more amazing person. (You'll also see where I edited some cliffs out in the interest of time). This is a spot near a lovely creek and really stunning cliffs that is very near my girls' school. What a good day.

-julie davis