Outdoor Painting - Wheeler Farm, Murray 9/3/24

Our favorite place to end our painting series - beautiful flowers, barns, and animals.

Sample Itinerary:

Meet at Location - 9:00 am

Set up and Paint - 9:15 am - 12:00 pm

Directions: South Parking Lot, Wheeler Farm, Murray, Utah

Cost: $5 art supplies if not bringing your own

Activities: Outdoor Painting - Park in the south parking lot. Walk to the large barn (bathrooms inside). On the east side is a path heading north. We went to the end of this path and set up under the big tree so as to have great views of 2 barns, the house and the cows. Each person chose whether to use watercolor or acrylic and their subject.

Easy Acrylic Color Painting Lesson:

1) Do a thumbnail (smaller) sketch with pencil and paper first

2) Apply wash to full canvas (diluted color with water - opposite color of your main subject - ex: if you are doing green plants)

3) Lightly sketch again the subject in simple outlines on your canvas with diluted acrylic color

4) Mix all the colors you want to use on your palate before starting (use Liquidex to keep acrylic wet longer). Add white to make different Values (light and dark)

5) Apply colors to canvas in dark layers first, then add lighter colors. Pay attention to warm vs cool colors and how they mix

Tips:

- Spray paper towel with water and put paint on towel to keep moist longer

-Have tissues on hand for cleaning brushes.

-Have a larger cup for rinsing brush (NEVER leave a brush in water)

- Using a palette knife is great for mixing color and blocking in color

Gear: chair, easel or chair, 2 water bottles (one for dirty paint water, acrylic paints, pencils/erasers, palate or paper plate, brushes, palate knife, watercolor paper on board, paper towels/tissues (for cleaning brushes), plastic bag (for garbage), sunhat, sunscreen