Monday, September 17, 2018

September plein air



On sunny afternoons, I've been setting up my easel at Mt. Tabor, near an off leash dog park and playground.  The low angle of the sun in the west back lights the trees and creates dappled shadows on the grass.  I've been painting daily for the Strada Easel challenge.  A lucky winner will receive a Strada Easel, which would probably be a big improvement over my battered gear.  I intend to return to this place at different times of day, and later there will be more Fall color.

September Big Paint out

 Sauvie Island Dike, 11" x 14"

The first Thursday in September was the Alla Prima "Big Paint out", where we brought larger than usual canvases or supports.  Mine was 14" x 18" instead of the usual 11" x 14", but I had no trouble filling in the space and completing in a few hours.  (I intentionally left some of the orange toned background unfinished).  The morning started out gray, cold and windy, then partly cloudy for a moment, then boom, clear and sunny! It was also a big paint out in terms of attendance, over 30 artists on the dike on Sauvie Island, close enough to the dog kennel to hear the barking chorus.