I think it is because I have been so non-plussed by this unseasonal weather that the day I finally get out to paint happens to be one of the coldest ones this season, and again I make the fatal mistake of standing out of the sun and in the wind (in my defense, I was shielded from the wind initially, but not for long.) It was a “I will keep painting until my hand can no longer grip the knife” day. I had wanted to practice clouds – trying to get a softer and more airy weight to them than I generally do with the knife. I feel like I learned something about the subtlety of the value shifts within clouds, thanks to David Curtis who gave me key advice at a key moment.
Plein Air Painting 2015
December 7th, 2015
It always looks odd to me, when the sky and water are bright and blue and the weather is mild and springy – but the trees are all bare and the grasses dead because it’s actually December. I don’t love this painting, but I love that I got out and painted properly. I look forward to going again, with steadily improving (in my eyes) results.
Sunset, Ring of Fire
This week is one of anniversaries and memories, and either the three months of shatteringly beautiful sunsets at the lake or a year full of endings – or an inspiring blend of both – has me very fixated on painting sunsets.
November 13th, 2015
I only had an hour and it was very windy, but David (the leader of the posse) had said they’d be painting today and I didn’t want to miss yet another. It was the kind of day where all the clouds and wind with patches of sun and sky mirrored my internal landscape. I used a small panel and painted on a clipboard rather than deal with the frustration of wind wiggling a fragile easel. I jumped in, painted hard, then packed up and came home. Something, ANYTHING, is always better than nothing. Now I am off to teach but glad I decided to paint, regardless wind and time constraints, and mental tumult. Grateful David keeps sending the posse invites in spite of my poor attendance in recent months.