Ready for Spring.....

9/2009 Oil 9 x 12"

Well, I'd have to say the warm weather is near. I have been out this season and have had a couple of fairly successful paintings, although I have not had a chance to photograph them. This painting displayed I captured last fall just as winter was nearing. A local farmer offered me hiking access to his 140 acre farm, and this is a piece of his property. This painting, in particular, is important to me because it represents a period of growth in my own attempts plein air painting....a tipping point you might say. Hope you enjoy.

Falling Twilight......

16 x 20" Oil 2009

This painting was made last year. It kind of reminds me of landscape around me now...snow. Aside from the snow, the moonlight, when it's clear out, has an amazing effect on the early evening landscape. I took the reference photo of this painting when I was outside painting one evening late last winter. I was all into my plein air painting, I finished, cleaned my brushes, packed my stuff, and turned around a saw this beautiful image directly behind me. Too bad, because that particular plein air piece wasn't that great, where this scene would have been nice to paint from life. Nevertheless, I captured the image and made this painting from it. I really tried to control the values and saturation of this image, making it calm and meditative. I think I want to revisit this type of subject, but maybe with a bit more color this time around.

Brrrrr.....

Reference Photo on Site

Well, the first snows have lured me out. I got one more chance to paint this year. The cold air was much more difficult on the lungs when it came to hiking uphill. Once I got out into the wild, the winter greys made the forest seem so quiet and still. It was very peaceful out there but pretty damn cold.....my feet suffered the most. This particular painting was completed in a hurried state, due to the frigid temps and the realization that once I finished the painting I still had a mile or so to walk back to my truck. Overall, I enjoyed the palette of this piece, but the composition suffered a bit.....probably not a keeper, but a good experience.