Thursday, May 29, 2008

Daily Painting Practice - Old Farm Road

Thursday is plein air day. Our little plein air group got together at Marge's house just over the Missouri River in the (Loess Hills of Iowa). We had a great idea to try and paint a figure outdoors. Marge recruited a neighbor to be our model for the day.... But no sooner had we set up...and it began to rain. We all packed up and headed for the porch. Of course by the time I got there the rain had stopped. The others went on painting the model but I turned around and painted Marge's garden.
There was this beautiful iris standing all by itself in the middle of the garden. I got this far before we stopped for lunch.
After lunch we do a little speed painting. We call it that because by the time we get back out there and paint we only have 1/2 to 1 hour left before packing up for the day. Our group meets around 10:00 then breaks for lunch usually around 12 or 12:30. The afternoon always zips by.
The speed painting always ends up being the better of the two paintings for the day.

click on the image to enlarge the painting

Old Farm Road
original by Peter Yesis
9"x12"
oil on canvas board

I walked to the road beside the house and set up to paint. The sky was changing every 5 minutes... growing darker then lighter. then darker again... We are supposed to have tornado warnings later... It was beginning to look like it.

2 comments:

Marilyn M. King said...

These are very helpful posts. It's not often that I see a photo of the scene to get a sense of what is being painted. I learn a great deal in seeing how the artist enhances the color, composition, lighting and most of all how the landscape is simplified. I do love the grayed tones that you were able to render beautifully in the road painting.
Thanks for sharing your work!

Marilyn M. King said...

I forgot to ask you a question about your plein air easel. Could you tell me what kind it is and if you like it? I'm not too keen on constantly fooling with wing nuts on my Jullian.