Path with Wild Mustard, 14 x 11, UART 500

I got outside again today, another lovely but cooler day. Went back to the same location where I had found a path that intrigued me. I stood in mostly shade looking up at the sunlit hill. I focused on how to simplify and enhance the shapes in the composition. The background trees, for instance, did not form this lovely shape–but who would know!  I did a small study with my tombow pens (read Richard McKinley’s latest blog–always a good reminder). My challenge was to present the mustard in both light and shadow. At the bottom, I used a number of greener and browner yellows to hopefully indicate the shadowed flowers. I liked the fact that the bottom was in shadow as it allowed me to bring down some of the color from the dark tree.  Working outside twice now makes it clear to me how both similar and different plein air painting is from studio painting. In the studio, I have time to think about the composition and the best surface and technique that I will use. Outside one has to make much faster decisions. And I only brought one type and size of surface. But both come down to good shapes, values and colors. For the last year or two I’ve favored working on a toned surface that allowed me to immediately begin with pastel. Now, I’m working on the UART with hard pastels and alcohol underpainting and I like this approach very much as it helps me loosen up and focus on the broad shapes and the rythym and flow of the darks and lights.