Plein Air Grand Marais

I think this is my seventh year participating in this event.  I always stay in the Mangy Moose Motel.  A nice couple, Bill and Danielle, are the new owners.  Their kindness and the charming motel (all of the 10 rooms are different) help to make the visit fun.  The weather was ever changing and always beautiful.  All of our meals were delicious.  Walleye fish at My Sister's Place, cod fish/chips and coleslaw at the Dockside Cafe, white fish and lake trout at the Angry Trout, breakfast at the Naniboujou Lodge and frozen custard cones from Sidney's while watching a thunder storm with lightning over the Sawtooth Mountains.  We took our annual pilgrimage to see the Spirit Tree in Grand Portage and felt the past memories of the previous visits over the course of 35 years.  I did six paintings in three days.  The "quick paint" and "night paint" are still challenging, but not as stressful as the first few years.  I've learned to do the "night paint" in my car.  Sitting in the passenger's seat I duct tape the canvas board to cardboard and then duct tape that to the dashboard.  Then small led lights are attached to the visor, rear-view mirror and ceiling handle.  The "quick paint" went well except for the fact that three other artists decided to paint the the same yellow boat parked in the owners side yard.  All the paintings were done from different angles, but mine paled in comparison.  I sold one painting at the opening reception!  A total of 60 artists and over 250 paintings created in a few days.  I luckily ran into all of my artists acquaintances, that I mostly only see once a year.  Which is, highly unlikely considering how big the Cook County boundaries are.  I didn't get a very good photo of my "night paint" (Robin's favorite.)  But, whenever I'm having a bad day, I can remind myself I have painting in Grand Marais next September to look forward to.  Then everything will seem a little bit better.