Incoming

Incoming Geese  12x16 oil

I painted this based on the study I did last week at the lake. The number of geese that were here last week was three times the number you see in this painting. I had put my camera on the movie setting and let it run as the clouds of geese kept coming. I tried to capture the rhythmic motion of them as they came in for the landing.

First Plein Air Sketch of the Year

             
5x7 oil

I got out for a couple of hours this afternoon to get some exercise and do some painting if a scene presented itself to me. It wasn't the greatest weather for painting, overcast, cold and windy, but I like being out no matter what the weather.
I wanted to experiment with different colors and switched a few colors for the winter months.
I found a spot along the lake where a lot of geese were coming and going and I figured they would add a bit of interest to the scene. It was nice listening to them calling to each other as a new group flew in.

Ocean View 8x10 oil

I found this reference painting from about four years ago while I was cleaning out the studio.
This was from a trip to the New Jersey shore. I had my paints with me but because of the constant strong wind I would have ended up chasing my equipment down the beach. I usually bring my video camera and a digital camera with me on these trips so I always have options in case the conditions aren't suitable for setting up an easel.

I was attracted to the glare on the water from the sun trying to get thru the clouds and the ton of highlights from the wind swept waves.  I set up the video camera and let it run but made notes of the values of the scene because I know from experience when you point a camera at something bright the meter wants to compensate and ends up making everything darker than what it really is.

So I painted this while watching the video just like if I was standing there on the shore.  I like the loose treatment I accomplished from hurrying along. I feel like too many of my paintings end up being tight if I spend too much time on them.

Its a wonderful feeling when you can spend a whole day alone wandering from spot to spot picking out the  most significant qualities of a scene and getting a  successful painting out of it.

Farm Fields

Farm Fields  8x10 oil

My brother Chris and I  had some free time to get out and paint today. We went to a local State Park that has open fields and farmhouses. Even though the conditions were not the best (overcast and windy, 43) we found some rolling fields, farm buildings and a sky full of fast moving clouds.
When you have clouds not willing to stand still for you I find it best to pick out a formation fix the image in your mind and paint away, the next time you look up they will be in a  different position anyway.

We wanted to try to capture the gently rolling fields in front of the buildings. The farm buildings added a welcome value range to the rest of the scene.

First plein air paintings of 2012

I promised myself I would do a lot more painting on location this year. It felt great getting out today even though it was 38 degrees and a little windy out by the lake when I started. I was glad I brought extra clothing because I ended up needing it later on.

When I started at 8:30 this morning it was overcast but the sun was trying to show. As I looked out over the lake I thought  what a dull colorless scene. I started to walk back to the car to find something else but I stopped and gave it another look. I forced myself to find one thing I liked about the scene no matter how small.
 I liked the area of water in the foreground, you could see the slight blue/grey of the sky reflected there and the contrast of the brown leaves right in front of it.  OK I found a center of interest and then I  built the rest of the painting around that.

I never realized how cold I was till I finished the painting. Your concentration is so focused you are not aware of the cold. One improvement in my equipment are fingerless gloves. The tips are cut off making it easier to handle brushes, palette knives without having to remove the gloves every time you want to do something. I spent about one and a half hours on this painting standing in one place with the wind blowing on me.

On a side note, as I was approaching the lake I failed to notice the two bald eagles up in the tree. A quieter approach might have given me a better look before they flew off.

Edge of the Lake  8x10 oil