Sunday, October 28, 2007

Thunder Mountain - View over the Hills

Our Plein Air group met at the home of a fellow artist outside Hillsborough, NC on Thunder Mountain. It was a chill morning as we arrived; the grass still wet from the recent, much appreciated rains, and heavy morning dew. It was a bit windy too in certain spots, but each artist found a 'view' to sketch from.

Several of us sat at this particular spot, overlooking a farmhouse and pond with a backdrop of just-turning fall trees. I sat bundled up in my coat watching the shade turn to sun, the darkish valley lighten up. The day turned out to be one of autumn's best - a bit chill, warm sun, beautiful color.

I find painting Plein Air so very challenging, as most folks do -- changing light, temperature variations, insects, cold or heat -- but fun nonetheless to find ways to work with those challenges ....

My great challenge yesterday was to put paint to paper -- and again - leave it alone. I'm always impatient to correct before the paint dries, dabble and adjust just a bit more.

But I suppose that's why we keep doing what we're doing -- each sketch, each painting contains its own lessons... and bit by bit, day by day, HOPEFULLY, we learn.

4 comments:

Nancy Van Blaricom said...

I'm with you Lin... I want to get on with the next step way before it's time to. Even though watercolor dries fast, there are times fast isn't fast enough.

Lately I am having a hard time puting paint to paper. You are a good influence. I need to just "do it".

Lovely painting ... nice you went out and captured the day.

Teri said...

This is a beautiful landscape Lin. And I thought I was the only impatient one around here :)

Jana Bouc said...

Nice job with the aerial perspective--the distant hills look just right. Plein air is the hardest -- it's just crazy. But such a good learning opportunity.

Felicity Grace said...

Your landscapes are incredible - and I'm not a landscape person! ;) So much detail and depth of field to capture, it's so much harder than it looks but you do it beautifully!