I paint en plein air all year round, but it's definitely tougher when I feel the air getting colder as we approach winter. Cold weather and watercolor don't mix because it doesn't dry on the paper and it also freezes on the palette.
I started today by painting a beautiful grave monument at Valleau. My other painting is of a salt storage area; I pass by the structure a lot and always think it would be cool to paint. The huge mound of salt looks like a mini dessert. There were some guys working at the salt storage and they came over to see my painting; it's always fun to talk to people while I'm en plein air.
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Had a great day painting this beautiful scene. I even met another painter who was walking by. I'm going to try and get out a few more times before all the leaves are gone!
Almost got blown away by the wind today, but I managed to finish this 10" X 14" watercolor, Just Passing Through.... The title has a double meaning referring to the geese passing through the scene and also to the fact that this is a cemetery and we're all just passing through life.
Lately, I've been focusing on some basic painting principles. I'm realizing that legibility in a painting is really crucial. The ability to read what is going on and to simplify elements when necessary is what I am focusing on. A beautiful painting doesn't need to be filled with details because it needs to work as a whole first; this is why a great painting looks good even as a thumbnail sized image.
There's always so much to juggle in a painting (especially en plein air): drawing, composition, values, colors, brushwork. I feel like simplifying those elements is the highest order. There's a lot that I'm learning recently about my mindset also. To keep calm and have the painting under control is really important. These are all things that I'm continually working on. |
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