oil on Raymar canvas panel 8x8 inches
Yesterday's plein air day with Lisa McDill was held at the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve in Murrieta, a beautiful place for hiking and painting. The day was perfect...breezy and in the mid 80's, and we crossed paths with only one snake! :-) The dark trunk of this tree and colorful grasses caught my eye. I set up next to a tree for shade and a wind block. I had a blast! It all seemed easier after Lisa's great demo, and with her advice along the way. The words I'll remember most are, "Now stop....THINK!" I tend to plow forward sometimes counting on instinct or luck! Up top is the finished painting. Below is a view of the scene (slightly different vantage point) and the painting before I made some changes.
That big ugly dark shape is right in the middle of the canvas. I added some mid-values to break it up and alter the shape. I took out some wildflower dots to simplify the foreground. The distant pointy trees on the left are distracting. I simplified the outline. I'm making progress with plein air. Can't wait to go again!
