Plein Air!

Well, I finally did it! After watching video after video from youtube and vimeo, and after looking at picture after picture...I got so inspired by these plein air painters, that I just had to try it myself. "Plein air"??? what is that, you might say. Well, it pretty much means what it looks like: painting in plain or open air.

I found this little scene in the woods behind my house.

Yes, believe it or not, Archdale has creeks and woods loaded with lots of small woodland creatures...some, not so small. This painting brought some new challenges and new rewards as well. The most challenging aspect was the changing light and atmosphere. Today was mostly cloudy and overcast, and at one point, we were blessed with a small shower. But, every so often, the sun would pop out and liven up a drab landscape with some nice golden highlights. That little bit of light was what I wanted to capture.

The rewards of my plein air painting experience was the peacefulness of the woods and the only noise I heard was the trickling of water from the creek. I take that back...my cellphone rang once. I also couldn't believe how fast the time flew by. I started at around 11 am, and I finished at 12:50. I know I have a lot to learn from some of the struggles I had, and it seems like I should be faster. If I were trying to paint a sunset or sunrise, I'd be in a lot of trouble with my 2 hour time span.

However, I'm so looking forward to doing this again!

The painting itself is 10x13, acrylic on canvas.