March

 Steigerwald Refuge, plein air 9" x 12"

 Steigerwald Refuge, plein air 8" x 8"

Gibbons Creek, 5" x 7"

It was the official first day of Spring and National Happiness Day, so I did what makes me happy:  plein air painting!  This was my first time at Steigerwald Nature Refuge on the Washington side of the Columbia Gorge, a wetland with a trail called the Gibbons Creek Wildlife Art Trail.  Perfect!  It was lovely, quiet except for the sounds of birds.  Huge flocks of geese floated overhead.  I finished two plein air paintings, then walked further up the trail to Gibbons Creek, almost to the edge of the Columbia River, took photos to paint from later.  The first painting included a view of Mt. Hood squeezed into the far right side, which did not look right back in the studio, so I wiped it out.  Aha!  Mt. Hood must be the star of the show, or not be there at all.

Early March

 Powell Butte View of Mt. Hood, Spring plein air 9" x 12"

Powell Butte, View of Mt. Hood, Spring 5" x 7"

It felt like Spring, anyway there was some sun, so I went out to Powell Butte for plein air painting.  The view of Mt. Hood was inspiring, but it was so windy that I had to hold on to the easel with my left hand and both feet while painting!

Naturally, that meant I could not step back periodically to check the composition from a distance.  So I painted fast, packed up and went back to my warm studio!  The second, smaller painting has a tighter composition without the distraction of every branch and tree, and more texture which I think conveys the brisk atmosphere of the day.