I just returned from Moab and Arches National park yesterday; I spent Wednesday, Thursday, and part of Friday painting 'en plein air (French for painting outside). There are those who swear by the virtues of painting from direct observation and shun working from photos. I agree that observing colors outside is superiour to photographic references, however recording that color has always been my biggest hurtle; my canvases always look washed out. I think I am better equipped to deal with this issue after this week.
Here is my work from the last few days.
In all the times I have been through Moab I have never driven route 128 that follows the Colorado River. Beautiful! I could set my easel anywhere and find something awesome to paint.
This is a 10x15 inch panel, I started about 1 in the afternoon, and ended about 4 pm. The light changes so fast especially in the canyon. The shadow on the cliff on the left side of the painting had covered 80% of the painting by the time I was done!
This one is a 12x20, a large area to be sure, but I really like the longness of it. This image is from the park... Arches is incredible and a bit overwhelming when you look at all the picturesque things you could paint there. I had in my mind what I wanted to paint (standing on slick-rock with junipers popping up in the sand and from behind rock mounds) My internal vision and the final product don't match up yet, I was hoping for a bit more dynamic movement across the landscape. I flattened it out too much. I have noticed while I am refining I lose the energy my sketches had.
This is the painting I entered in the competition. I started it very late in the afternoon, (5:30ish) after I wandered in to Castle Valley. I drove up into the hills so I could look down toward the spires and ran into another painter! He was nice and happy to share the spot with me. I worked on the sky and formations..if I work on the best part first then the other stuff can change, I have to just roll with it....I finished the foreground by flashlight.
UPDATE: we went to pick up paintings in Moab and there was a nice green ribbon on this painting. The painting received an Honorable mention! Yessss!!!!!
I learned a few things, some that I already knew but had to convince myself that yes they were true! When I work quickly and enjoy the work it turns out better. when I take the process too seriously and do a bunch of busy work that painting suffers. The Magic is in the doing!
Yeah!!! I wonder who got the 1st place, who were the judges anyway?
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