Pastels in Ireland Part 4: Castles, Swans and Rain

'Cows in the Meadow'      8x10         pastel        ©Karen Margulis
sold

My last minute purchases came in handy once again. The 4th painting day of Art in the Open was challenging especially for the pastel and watercolor artists. It was cool, windy with on and off rain showers. Knowing the weather forecast in advance (I love the Dark Sky app) I was prepared for a day out in the elements.

One of the items I bought just before my trip was a great roomy tote bag by Baggallini. I am a huge fan of their bags but I wanted a large tote that would have a top zipper. I found one on eBay and it arrived in time for my trip. It was perfect because it shed the rain! I was able to take along my small pastel box, my Monkey Mat (a blanket made of parachute material) and of course my umbrella. I also had another jacket and a change of socks....just in case. It was a  good thing that I was so prepared.

close up of the cows

Enniscorthy is a wonderful picturesque town built around a castle. The movie Brooklyn was filed here.  Read all about the town here: http://www.enniscorthytourism.com

When we arrived it was cloudy and windy so I decided to paint right away before the rain moved in. I set up on the banks of the river. There wasn't any shelter. The watercolor workshop was being held under the bridge. They had it made!  I had to work fast!  I spread my blanket down on the wet cement steps and opened my Heilman single sketchbox. I worked with my board on my lap. I was able to paint a couple of studies before the rain. My simple setup made it stress free and easy to clean up in a hurry!

A castle sparks the imagination!

 After a nice warm lunch of soup and brown bread and a cup of tea (I drank a lot of tea) I took a walk around the castle and took some photos. There was much more to see but this was day 4 of intense painting and I was starting to drag a bit. I decided to return to the bus pick up area and just sit and watch the river.  It was a good day for the rain after all.  It allowed me to relax and recharge. There was much more to come!

Some photos from my day in Enniscorthy

Painters on the river bank dodging the rain

'Enniscorthy Study'         5x7     plein air pastel      available $75

my rainy day pastel set up

Starting to rain....time to pack up!

Today's painting: On the bus rides to and from our painting sites I made sure to take photos. I wasn't concerned about having perfect photographs. I wanted to capture little snippets of life in the Irish countryside. The cows and sheep intrigued me. This painting is from one of these 'drive by' photos.

8x10 on Yi Cai pastel paper.