Tumbledown, Fall

Tumbledown Mountain, Weld Maine

Fall is unquestioningly my favorite time of year.  This is an on location watercolor sketch completed years ago.  This was completed in one setting.  At the time I was very interested in capturing the brilliant fall colors, in particular the color showing through the trees between me and the mountain.   

As I’ve mentioned in other posts, sometimes when painting on location I find it easy to get lost in the subject in front of me.  Particularly in earlier years.  I would, and perhaps I will, rearrange the elements in this painting differently to strengthen the composition while maintaining the integrity or the sense of the place.

If you’ve never tried painting on location, please do.  It is challenging and such a joy.  I was incredibly fortunate to be introduced to drawing and painting outdoors when I was introduced to art. I’ve never known anything else. 

One of the gifts of painting on location, and there are many, is the strength of the memory of the location.  Rarely do we spend hours observing and interpreting the world around us.  It’s been more than a decade since I painted this picture.  I can remember the temperature, the sound of the wind through the tall grass, the warm feel of the sun on my face and the chill of the fall air that the wind carried even into this sheltered location.  There are also things that you may observe in nature that aren’t readily captured by photographs.  It may even be something you see on the way to the location that you decide to add to the finished picture – An interesting tree, old barn, or a tree that stubbornly refuses to lose its leaves when all around have long since surrendered to the coming of winter.

Speaking of winter.  I so enjoyed observing the muted colors during today's Nor Easter and will use the observations to attempt my first painting of a snow storm in action.  More later.

Stockbridge River Sketch

Stockbridge River – Acyrlic on Canvas 12” x 16”

I set up on a small bridge near tumbledown mountain years ago to complete this on location sketch in early spring years ago.  Some of my on location paintings are quite complete – others are very rough.  It depends on a number of factors from time, subject, weather conditions, and my reason for painting the particular subject.  If I’m experimenting with a new medium, new technique, et cetera, I’m not very concerned about producing a “finished” painting.  Though unfinished, this painting is one of my favorites because of the memories of the day with my father in law.

The spring runoff from the mountain was roaring on this particular day, and being on the bridge in the shade of the valley and trees was very  cold.  I hardly noticed how cold I was until I did the trees in the closest forground.  The broken paint strokes were as much a physical response as a stylistic one.  I’d planned to complete the birches with black spots throughout but by then I was too cold.

I find in expansive settings, particularly in the mountains, it can be difficult to choose which subject to paint.  They sky and lighting on the mountains wasn’t particularly interesting on this day, rather hazy, so I decided to focus on this subject.  I think that this subject would also be interesting in bright daylight and shadows creating patterns of light on the river, trees, and rocks.  This sketch will remain unfinished but will serve as a refernce

One lesson I learned on this trip was to pay close attention to your surroundings.  My father in law and I drove in as far as the snow let us, and then we hiked the rest of the way to this location.  Neither of us had really considered how much the tote road would soften as the snow melted throughout the day.  We made it out fine, but there were a few times where we thought we would be spending the night.  I try to make it a point to bring extra clothing, blankets, etc when I'm painting somewhere off the beaten trail.

A Work in Progress

Mechanicsberg Penn - on location

I've come to learn that every painting, successful or not, has helped me continue forward in my journey to capture my impressions of the landscape.  Occasaionally I'll have a reason to revisit past efforts - in this case in preparation for entering a juried plein air exhibition in Southern Maine.

This sketch was started and completed on location during a family trip to Pennsylvania years ago. I took some time to explore a nearby park and was captivated by this river.

There are a number of things I would change about this painting, but at the time I was most interested in studying the effects of the water with the limited time I had.  What would I change?

A number of elements of the composition (the tree in the center of the river in the center of the painting) as well as the solid trees in the background.  Although this is as the composition was, it doesn't make the best composition for a painting.   

Next I did some compositional sketches - ranging from simple line drawings to more detailed sketches.

                                

This was a quick tonal sketch - not at all concerned about detail, but begining to address the composition and values.

I then did a quick color study and also experimented with natural sponges for applying paint as I had in the on location study.

I then set the sketches aside in a portfolio - which I will most likely turn into finished paintings.  I've got a number of "collections" like this of different subjects that I've set aside for a rainy day.

Each painting also adds a little more knowlege about what does and does not work in producing a desired effect.  Its amazing what you will remember about a location when you spend a few hours painting and observing.  I now don't get concerned if I cannot capture an effect accurately at the time (my observations are often ahead of my ability to capture them in paint) because I can revisit those subjects when I have further developed my skills.

On location sketches also help me develop a "bank" of resources to refer to in future studio work (rivers, clouds, et cetera).

I'd love to hear any tips others may have for working on location.