Thursday in Birnau, more adventures, art in Meersburg.

cool and rain in A.M. sun, clouds and a bit of wind, P.M.

I'm starting with this money shot of the first of 2 paintings for the day.

The day started out rainy, I wanted cash to buy paint that was going to be available through a friend's friend, they would come to us with paint for sale, and it sounded good. I asked Kerstin for a note, so I could go to the bank and get money exchanged with no fee, and this worked well, I went back to the same bank and the same cashier! Next I wanted some pastries, it was around lunch time, and what better way to find my next painting spot.

I made my way South, out of the most crowded part of Uberlingen, and found a bakery with no one but the hostess, I figured that's the best place. I managed to get chocolate milk and two large pastries, now I was ready to find my spot!

I had a hunch, so I gave in to it and found the best spot, this is Basillika Birnau. It was farther than I initially wanted to go, but all flat along the lake, and safe and easy to get there. I'm good at this; a view of the basillika, back lit, vineyard in the foreground, and even a telephone pole! Plus no one around!

 My same pallet, plus yellow ochre, and black.

A note on color mixing. The sky would have warm and cool tones, so a smidgen of cadmium lemon, in the titanium white goes a long way, and would work for the brightest of the clouds. This is true of a lot of mixes where I just want the slightest of influence of a strong color, I just swipe the tiniest bit.

1st.

2nd

3rd. I pushed the dark if the basillika down, (I chose this placement so the bright sun on the facade could be seen between the grape vines.

The start was characterized with broad strokes with a large brush, but I needed a bit more delicacy in the foliage so I moved to a smaller brush.  I also needed to distinguish between the vines and the grass, it was subtle, the green made with a different combinations of yellows, blues white, but also a little of the other, so they weren't too dissimilar.

Here is where I ended up. The telephone and fence poles offer a contrast to the other stuff, the lines of the wires are scratched in with a pallet knife, and I like how that works too.

#373 view of Basilika Birnau

12 x 16

panel

I spent about 2 hours in this location, mostly by myself, (a few souls went by) this in not Washington County!

I always have a feeling of euphoria after I paint, it's better than any drug, indeed it's more like love, and I'm addicted to it. It feels a bit like this:

Here is the train station near the Basillika.

Here is the marina owned by our hosts, I had wanted to go to the woods north of Birnau, but couldn't find the route, so I went north along the lake, back through Uberlingen, to here.

I'm not a marine painter, but this was nice.

1st.

2nd.

3rd.

Ende.



#374 Marina on Lake Konstance

6 x 8

Paper

I made it back to Spetzgart just in time to go in the van with my comrades to Meersburg.

This place really feels medieval!

Our group with the water wheel.

Wow!

Our purpose was to attend an art opening, which was definitely not medieval. There were speeches, all in German, and the crown was well dressed, I had thrown on my blaze orange "road crew" shirt and was feeling very out of place, but our little group laughs and has fun, and enjoy a special status here, so.....

........this is Julia, behind her, with cell phone camera is Melissa, and yawning is Eli.

Yes there was drinking afterwards.