As many of you know I have picked up my oil paints after many years of leaving them behind.  Over the last year and a half I decided to revisit my once favorite medium.  I also quite madly decided to do this outside!  I love painting and painting the world that fills my day.  My center of peace is walking my dogs…it clears my head and fills my heart so it is a natural extension to paint the fields that surround me.

After years of working in watercolor and mastering the technique (always working on improvement) this is a whole new world of success and failure. Sometimes I swear I hear my paint tubes mocking me 🙃  I have learned to embrace my failures as much as my successes…they are my teachers.

I have learned that each painting is a stepping stone to the next painting…each painting teaches what not to do on the next painting 😉  If my painting works I feel happiness and if it is a mess I embrace the mess and learn from it…it will help me to be better.  I come to each blank canvas without expectation…I come to learn and to see where it takes me…it is very freeing to enjoy the effort and see where it leads.

Next week classes begin.  I hope that with these lessons I have learned from my own work to help students not to be frustrated that every painting will not be a masterpiece but that each painting gets you closer to what you hope to achieve.  Failure is a wonderful teacher…..take the lesson it offers and move forward ❤️

Hilltop Hanover Farm 

We had a wonderful week on Cape Cod….never disappoints 🙂  I hope everyone had a good summer with all it offers.  Now the beautiful crisp days of Autumn are not far away 🍂🍁🍂

Looking forward to classes at Ward Pound Ridge Reserve!  We will meet on Thursdays from 1-4pm and Saturdays from 10-1pm.  Please go to the “Classes” section for details.  Email me at  lauragould@mac.com with any questions.

Please note that there is no Wednesday class this session…classes must have a minimum of 3 students to go forward.

Start thinking about what you want to do….a series….small works….a large involved piece….sky’s the limit 🙂

See you all soon!!!!

Low tide with my family ❤️

🍁 New this Fall 🍁  Plein Air painting for beginners, offering private sessions or small groups.  Sessions are weather dependent. We will be painting in the beautiful changing season that surrounds us.  Classes will be offered on Monday and Tuesday mornings. Make your own lesson plan…three in a row, returning to your painting for three mornings or once a week for three weeks…it’s up to you. You will start at the beginning 🙂 learning how to create a composition, mix your paints, how to use your brushes and get started!

Each session is three hours.  The price varies depending on the package chosen.

Single Private Session with easel, paints and canvas supplied – $75.00

Single Private Session with your own equipment and supplies – $50.00

Private three day sessions with paints, easel and canvas supplied $175.00

Private three day sessions with your own supplies $150.00

Semi private group (2-3 people) with equipment supplied $45.00 per session or 125.00 for a group of 3 sessions.

Semi private group (2-3 people) with your own supplies $35.00 per session or $100 for a group of 3 sessions.

Please contact me with any questions:  lauragould@mac,com

The new class schedule has been posted.  We will be returning to Ward Pound Ridge Reserve in all it’s glory! 🙂 Looking forward to seeing everyone the end of September 🙂

Enjoy the eclipse 😎 and the rest of summer!

https://barkingdogstudio.me/classes/

It’s the last month of summer and I’m making a few promises to myself…paint paint paint  and then paint some more.  Every Wednesday I am painting side by side with mu friend and student Lynda…below is my most recent painting with cows. I think I’m developing  a serious crush on cows!  Last but not least I may try to begin a new accordion nature journal with Weir Farm as my subject.

So now the challenge is to accomplish these promises to myself while walking doggies, doing day to day errands, eating and sleeping!  I’ll let you know how it goes….maybe I’ll get at least half of it done by summer’s end 😉

Enjoy the remaining days of summer…fill them with things you love ❤️

Summer Cows – Small oil painting on panel 8″x 8″

We have had several lovely weeks at Vickie’s garden.  This Thursday we will go to Weir Farm in Ridgefield NY.  Weir Farm is a lovely place dedicated to the arts through it’s history and through it’s continued support of the arts.  We will meet from 10-1pm.  There are gardens, beautiful historic homes and barns and lots of lovely open land. Beautiful old growth trees provide lots of shade.  Go to this link for directions and information.  https://www.nps.gov/wefa/index.htm  A minimum of three people required, please let me know in advance of the class if you are attending.

Thank you Vickie for the use of your beautiful garden and thanks to all who came to fill your journals 🙂

We will be having our last Thursday Nature Journaling session at Vickie’s garden this coming week (July 6th)  🙂

We will travel to a few new spots for the month of July. We will go to Weir Farm in Ridgefield CT then Katonah, NY full of lovely homes and town scenes, and last but not least Lasdon Arboretum for all it’s beautiful trees and the completed conservatory!  A minimum of 3 people must attend for the sessions to run.  $15.00 per session  10am-1pm

Weir Farm, CT  July 13th https://www.nps.gov/wefa/index.htm

Katonah, NY July 20th (we will meet in from of the library)

Lasdon Arboretum, Somers, NY July27th (we will meet at the conservatory)

~🌻~ ~🌻~ ~🌻~ ~🌻~ ~🌻~ ~🌻~~🌻~ ~🌻~ ~🌻~ ~🌻~ ~🌻~ ~🌻~~🌻~

Plein air painting lessons will continue to be offered through July 🙂  There is space available to join a small group on Wednesdays or Saturdays as well as private lessons. Groups consist of 2-3 people, beginners new to oils are welcome.

Semi private group (2-3 people) with equipment supplied $45.00 per session or 125.00 for a group of 3 sessions.

Semi private group (2-3 people) with your own supplies $35.00 per session or $100 for a group of 3 sessions.

Please contact me via email lauragould@mac.com with any questions about summer workshops or lessons.

Nature Journaling and Plein Air Painting are filling the days 🙂

Because of some generous friends and students I now have enough Plein Air kits to offer a small group option.  I will begin offering small group workshops for the month of July.  Workshops will be in the mornings or afternoons when the light is best.  There are enough kits for 2-3 people per session. The group session will be $50.00 per session with all supplies included.  Private sessions will continue to be available for $75.00 per session.

Foxgloves in Vickie’s garden, Plein Air demonstration

The sun finally came out just in time for our first one on one plein air painting session!

My friend’s dog Ollie was happy to join us…while we painted in beautiful gardens 🙂

Price options available:

Each session is three hours.  The price varies depending on the package chosen.

Single Private Session with easel, paints and canvas supplied – $75.00

Single Private Session with your own equipment and supplies – $50.00

Private three day sessions with paints, easel and canvas supplied $175.00

Private three day sessions with your own supplies $150.00

Semi private group (2-3 people) with equipment supplied $45.00 per session or 125.00 for a group of 3 sessions.

Semi private group (2-3 people) with your own supplies $35.00 per session or $100 for a group of 3 sessions.