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| 9" x 12" Oil on Panel |
There's something kind of mesmerizing about a field of fresh cut hay. There's the rhythm of hay rows as they appear to converge at the distant edge of the field. Then there's the contrast between the dark, cool-green of cut hay and the paler, warmer tone of field stubble between the hay rows. I enjoy painting them and feel fortunate when I find a hay field at just the right time. Other things factor into successfully painting a hay field, of course. I think things came together for this little painting.
There were a couple challenges involved in painting this scene. It's the time of year when cottonwood trees are shedding massive amounts of fluffy seeds. Those seeds readily stick to wet oil paint, and that can be a problem. There were a couple big cottonwoods close to where I had set up my paint box. When breezes came along those trees shed seeds in my direction in such abundance that it appeared to be snowing. The cottonwood flurries contained not only individual seeds but also big clumps of seeds that are even worse for a painting. Shielding the paint box and using a wet brush to intercept large clumps of seeds that came too close to the painting worked for the most part. Still a seed or two got onto the painting, but not enough to cause a fuzzy or lumpy painting. Little bits of nature in the paint are always part of the plein air experience, anyway.
A mile or two away a thick column of smoke rose, and began to spread. Shortly after, sirens of emergency vehicles could be heard. The smoke grew and spread, coming between me and the sun, which cast a gray smoky pall over the scene I was painting. Later I learned that a farmer had decided to burn some rubbish in a field. The fire had gotten away from him and burned five acres. Luckily, by that time my painting had progressed to a point where the smoky haze didn't affect it.
My paintings can be seen at these galleries:
In Salt Lake City: http://www.evergreengallery.com/
In Logan, Utah: http://loganfineartgallery.com/
In Ivins, Utah: https://www.facebook.com/juniperskyfineartgallery/
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| 11" x 14" Oil on Panel |
For this painting, it was back to the Spanish Fork River trail. Technically, it's still a couple weeks or so until the official start of summer, but the weather isn't waiting. It was quite warm the day I painted this, and scattered clouds grew into thunderheads over the mountains. That didn't interfere with painting, though, and I was able to make the piece shown above. I'm happy I found this place. Plans are, I'll be spending more time painting in this area.
Fyi, if you ever want to see any of my paintings in person, you can find them at these galleries:
In Salt Lake City: http://www.evergreengallery.com/
In Logan, Utah: http://loganfineartgallery.com/
In Ivins, Utah: https://www.facebook.com/juniperskyfineartgallery/
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| 16" x 20" Oil on Panel |
It's the first week in June, and I think it's about time I took out the easel and painted something larger than my pochade boxes allow for. And where better to paint bigger than a place I found just last week, the Spanish Fork River Trail. Parts of the trail follow the tree-lined Spanish Fork River. Other sections detour through open farmland, offering wide open views. Much of the trail is lined with willow, cottonwood and box elder trees. Here and there patches of wild rose are in bloom, as are batches of brilliant blue flax. Flowering Russian olive trees add a pleasant aroma the breezes along the trail.
After parking at one of the trail heads, I walked a mile or so to where I wanted to paint. On this day my chosen spot was on a section of trail that skirted alfalfa and hay fields, providing a wonderful view of Loafer Mountain in the Wasatch Range. After five or six hours of standing and painting out under the early June sun, I returned home with the painting shown at the top of this post.
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| 9" x 12" Oil on Panel |
Some days I just drive until I find something to paint, park on the side of the road, set up a pochade box, and go to work. These trees caught my attention last Thursday.
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| 9" x 12" Oil on Panel |
This was painted yesterday. It's a painting of cottonwood and willow trees southwest of town, looking toward the Lake Mountains. It's a warm day in the middle of May, and clouds were building - but not too much. It was a fine day for plein air painting!
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| 9" x 12" Oil on Panel |
Pictured above is a recently made plein air painting. I've painted this tree before. Like so many other subjects, though, it looks different each time I paint it. Sometimes the same landscape can provide a number of paintings, all different. Different times of day, weather, seasons, or years; also what I'm thinking or feeling at the time, all give the subject a different appearance. If development doesn't overrun these fields and trees, I'll probably return at some point in the future to paint them again.
Not every painting I make is intended for a gallery wall. At times it's good to paint in ways and/or choose subjects that are out of the ordinary for me. Doing so can lead to discoveries that influence in positive ways the methods I use and things I normally paint. A week or two ago I took one of my neglected 6" x 8" pochade boxes down to the lake. Because of the way this pochade box is made, it will also hold 6" x 6" and 4" x 6" panels. The tiny 4" x 6" panel is a good quick sketch size.
Making little pochades is also a contributing factor in getting out into nature on such a pleasant day!
