…but definitely not my last! I think I could become addicted to plein air.
Yesterday was an absolutely gorgeous day. The temperature hit about 28°C (82°F), which is amazing considering the normal high for this time of year is 9°C (48°F)! To celebrate, we went to Lowville Park, where I got to paint for about an hour while my patient husband entertained the dog. Then we drove to Scotsdale Farm, where the dog and I went for a long hike while my husband shot some great photos.
This was the first time I have painted in public and I was extremely nervous about it. So when two young men stopped behind me about half way through the first block-in on a red toned canvas, I tensed up. Then I heard, “I like your painting.” What!? He asked me what the red symbolized, and I explained the idea that a complementary colour would make the greens (such as they are, so early in the spring) pop. They carried on down the path, and I turned my iPod back on and kept painting. Then as I was almost ready to wrap up, they passed by on their way back to the parking lot. The same young man looked over and said, “Wow, you were right about the red.” I thanked him, and admitted it was my first time painting outdooors. He seemed surprised. It put the finishing touch on my day!
Now, despite his opinion, I know this is not a great painting. I struggled with it – the drawing is off, the colours tended to turn to mud, and it was hard to see colours and values in the bright sunlight. But I am ridiculously pleased with it. I loved the experience of painting outdoors. A fish was jumping right across from me, a mallard duck swam past, a few dogs managed to go AWOL and stopped to visit. And it was wonderful to feel the sun again after the winter.
Here’s a photo of the scene I painted, and another of me painting. I used a homemade pochade box that I put together on the cheap quite a while ago but never got the nerve to try until now. It worked well enough to get me started, and will do until I learn enough to know what I want in a “real” pochade. Next week I’ll show some photos of it.
Thanks for linking to our feature on Scotsdale Farm on our website. It’s a beautiful landscape and well worth exploring. I like the photos your husband took, and your painting is interesting. I hope you continue to work outdoors!