Plein Air Painters - Grand Marais

I had been wanting to go to the Plein Air painting event up in Grand Marais.  On my day off they were having a Plein Air quick paint, where the artists have only 90 minutes to complete their paintings.  It was a rainy drizzly day and I wasn't sure they would be having the event, but the rain slowed to a heaving mist just before starting time and I guess it was going on rain or shine.  

It was interesting to see the paintings progress as we walked around in circles watching the paintings develop.  Amazing what these people can do in 90 minutes in bad weather.

We started out in the parking lot by the Coast Guard Station but heard they were also set up out on Artists Point so we went our there to see.

People were painting everywhere

This guys painting started out all orange.  I asked him why he used a base of orange for his painting, the reply - he was using an old canvas he had previously painted.

This was one of my favorites, a combination of watercolor and pastels.

The paintings were displayed the next day and sold from $350 to $650, not bad for an hour and a half.  Maybe I'll work up the courage to try it someday.

Trip to see the Witch Tree in Grand Portage

 A day trip up to Grand Portage to go see the Witch Tree with my friend Ada and her friend Karen.  First Ada takes us down Memory Lane to places she played as a child.  They used to swim and kayak through the hole in this rock

This was one of their swimming beaches

 Next is the hike to the Witch Tree a 500-year-old, small, twisted, gnarled Cedar tree that grows out of rock, and stands alone on a rock ledge at the edge of Lake Superior on the Grand Portage Indian Reservation.

The Ojibwe believed that the tree was home to evil spirits who endangered canoes passing the rocky point and entering the often treacherous waters of the big lake, giving it the nickname “Witch Tree”. For centuries the tradition was to pass by the tree before starting a journey and offering tobacco to the gods or Great Spirit at the base of the Little Spirit Cedar in return for safe travels.

People started to carve their initials in it so you can now only go with an Indian guide.

 In case you were wondering, there are stairs.

 The Witch Tree

From here we go to High Falls.

 The High Falls of the Pigeon River, also known as Pigeon Falls, is on the Minnesota/Ontario border

 At 120 feet they are the highest falls in Minnesota