Sunset in a Field

                                                               20"x 24"

This piece was based on a painting I completed in plein air in the same size. The plein air painting itself was executed on a canvas, and this one on a  primed panel. My goals in this piece was to re-establish colors that I recognized in life, but didn't place masonite emphasis on in the plein air piece. I also used a reference photograph taken on site to help me digest the atmospheric changes throughout the scene.  

This is a cropping of the painting above along the seam of the mountain. I honestly could be happy if this were a painting by itself! 

                                        Study of a Sink 8"x10"

Over the past few weeks I've seen a pattern in the still lifes I paint during my Painting 2 class. I always paint it twice. Why? Well I usually finish the first painting early enough to do a much smaller study of the same setup. Today however, I really didn't want to do another painting of another still life...twice. I admit I enjoyed the last still life because it had a very restful look about it. And the glass bottles were lively yet muted in color. I unfortunately couldn't hold the same opinion for my other option of the day. So instead, I set up in front of the sink!

                                                               ....close up....

                                                    

  

Monsieur Onion 5"x7"

It's just one of those moments when you realize there just aren't enough hours in the day for a larger painting.....but somehow at the end of the day, just before dinner, the onion in the fridge speaks to you and the freshly gessoed masonite practically screams, "why not?" 

"Farm behind an Institute"

Another plein air piece I completed during a class at Totts Gap Art institute. I truly enjoyed making this piece and discovering new techniques with a palette knife! And if you were to stand in between the two red buildings looking out, you'll have the view in my previous painting. Just a fun little fact!

En Plein Air

                              

Plein Air:                                                                                                               "Evening Passage"

A term in other words which simply means, "in the open air." But without the use of photography to continuously reference to, it is not always that simple. The seemingly 2-dimensional world you captivate through a photograph becomes a full scale, larger than life (literally), direct intimacy with nature. You learn to see nuances in an instant. For fear of losing it with the changing atmosphere. You're adjusting eyes lets you in on new surprises constantly and your movement is rapid giving you less time to be insecure about each stroke. And by the end? Well, by the end you have a whimsical, passionate notion as to what you thought your world looked like in the few hours doused upon you before a changing light...…and to me it doesn't get much better than that.