Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Mountain Village


This 9x12 gouache painting was completed after a half hour climb to the top of Mount Srd. The scene looks Northeast toward other mountain ranges in Bosnia and Montenegro. It was always windy on the mountain top so I had to find an area to sit that was sheltered from the wind. I carried all of my supplies in a standard backpack and although it is always best to travel light while going out into nature to paint, it was crucial for this terrain.

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Orange Tree in Old Town


This is another 9 x 12 gouache painting completed on location. This was a situation where the light changed rapidly as I worked.
Plein air painting requires a certain flexibility and accepting attitude because of lighting or atmospheric changes. The end result is a "greatest hits" of everything that was observed while I worked. It is very rewarding and feels much more creative than working from photos. This was done in mid-March and there was still a bit of a chill in the air. I remember that my fingers were slightly numb upon completion.