Tough stuff here....

5/3/2010 Oil 9 x 12"

I painted this one day after work. I remember it was a beautiful day with wonderful billowing cloud patterns in the sky. I hurried home to get my easel and then out to the trails. Due to the increasing clouds and dwindling light, I threw my easel on my back and ran about a mile or so to a place I had in mind. Hot, sweaty, and slightly winded I quickly assembled my easel and began to paint. After about twenty minutes, the sun just disappeared behind what appeared to be a coming storm. A few minutes later a couple sprinkles warned of the approaching storm, so I packed up my easel and ran all the way back to my truck. And sure enough, a couple miles into the journey home, the heavens began to pour. The upside was that I did not have to jog on the treadmill that night. The downside was the fact that I had to finish the painting by memory at home. I really don't like to touch my plein air paintings once finished, but this one seemed like it was worth the additional effort. Overall, it was a pretty eventful evening to say the least.