I am posting my current studio piece titled "Poppies and Lupine." I went out in the field on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday I found myself in Niles Canyon on my way to a memorial service. I packed my sketchbook and camera and set out early to take the opportunity to sketch and photograph along the way. There is no real place to put your car on that winding canyon road. I squeezed as close to the side as I could and climbed out for some quick photos. I did find and old road to venture off on and got some good sketches done. They may very well become paintings.
I note on my pencil sketches what the weather was like, the temperature, the wind and what kind of sky it was. A Prussian sky or a Cobalt sky. These are colors I use when I paint and these notes are very helpful when I get back in to my studio. I may put that the clouds had a hint of cad red light in them, or possibly an alizarin hue to them.
On Sunday I took off and traveled down Crow Canyon Rd. With no map in hand I rambled along and stopped many many times to innumerable to count. I climbed over guardrails and fences. Again I snapped more photos and did lots of sketches. I was in territory that I had not really been in before. Not while I was driving. When I am driving, I will stop to sketch a rock, a post, a cloud, a cool looking bush ....... you get the idea.
When I finally set up to paint I knew that the light was going fast. I quickly blocked in my light and shadows before I lost them. It was a hazy day, the air was stagnant. The clouds were moving in, which explains today's rain. I really rushed this painting as I was worried about my van precariously parked on the side of the narrow road. "Crow Canyon February" is an 8x10" oil on canvas.
I know when I paint en plein aire, that I am quite often painting history as many time places I have painted have been bulldozed over for new developments. Some other places thankfully have been preserved as public open space. I feel honored to capture this precious land around me on canvas. To help preserve and document its history. We need to care for the land we live on so it will be here for the future generations to come.
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