Monday, August 13, 2012

Alder Stand



 8 x 10" Oil on canvas panel

Plein Aire #1 - sort of...  I did my first painting outdoors about a month ago when I hauled my French easel out the back door and painted my gate.  This one is with the pochade box I made. The lot next door to me is heavily populated with alders, and the light coming through in late afternoon was what I was after. I stayed close to home again because there's no shortage of gorgeousness right outside my door, and I wanted to be able to dash back into the house if I needed something.  All went quite well until I tried to pick up the tripod and carry it back to the house and the panel fell forward into the paint.  See the blobs on the bottom?  I smeared them around, but I was done - and wanted this first genuine plein aire painting to reflect what really happened in 2 hours, and give me info on what needs to change.   

A way to hold the panel in place would be helpful, but that gets way outside the cheap and easy department, so I'll simply wipe the sides of my finished panel with my rag (Tip #1: painting outdoors is far messier.  Wear an apron and have extra rags), and place it somewhere safe. Like a box in the back seat of the car. I will NOT be making a panel carrier, because more than one painting per outing is so outside the realm of possibility....well you know.  

Know something else? People who do this well, and in all sorts of weather deserve our admiration.  Lots of it.

9 comments:

  1. You captured the sunshine and filtered light inside the trees perfectly. I love the color green you used.
    Sorry it dropped into the paint but no harm done.
    Actually, masking tape rolled and placed on the back of your canvas panel, top and bottom, will keep it in place pretty well.

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  2. Ahhh! Thank you for that tip Julie. And for the encouraging words!

    I'm liking the greens I mix with the yellows and Raw Umber, and black I mix from Ultramarine and Burnt or Raw Umber.

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  3. These trees are so nice and lead me right into the woods.

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  4. I really like your blog. I found it through Julie Ford Oliver's site. I always get so excited to find great new artists!

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  5. Found you via Julie Ford-Oliver's most recent post. Beautiful work here!

    Greetings to you from Wichita, Kansas!!

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  6. Also from Julie Ford Oliver. Love your work!

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  7. Very nice painting. I like the light in the back coming through. I'm in the process of putting my box together. There's so much to bring with you! How are you going to transport your wet paintings. I've seen boxes for this but they're expensive!

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  8. Oh such a charming painting. Somehow on one level a simple composition yet on another complex and tricky and I'm so full of admiration. I especially love your subtle colours and lighting effects, keep up the outdoors work!

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