Sunday, April 17, 2011

Plein Air ... and weather

A bit more from my Plein Air workshop with Richard McKinley ...

Kerry from "Farmlass" commented about the romantic nature of doing plein air and she's right, it is! It's wonderful being outside in the fresh air, listening to the birds and enjoying the beautiful views. Well, until you are madly packing up your stuff because the wind is beginning to knock over your easel and rain is coming down on all of your pastels and onto your painting! But until then ... it's great!

Plein Air at Lake Casitas, Ojai, California
My set up and my first "watercolor underpainting" (before the rain came!)


Detail of my Lake Casitas pastel with help from Richard back at the studio


The third and last day we went back to our original spot at the Nature Preserve and I decide to do the same composition I did on the first day, but with the watercolor underpainting or "under-wash." Then I went back and finished the piece in the studio. I have a little more work to do on the trees but it's pretty close!

Nature Preserve, Ojai California
April 2011
Pastel, with watercolor under-wash on Wallace paper
(if you click on the picture to enlarge, you can see the watercolor under-wash in the clouds- It's still visible in other places but it's much less noticeable)


Oh, I almost forgot! I was on Suzanne's Blog "A Brush With Color" and she had shared the live "Eagle Cam" on her blog. I hadn't seen it! You can watch these amazing baby eagles and their parents in Iowa. It's live streaming video of their nest, 80 feet up! The best is when the mamma is feeding her babies, or when she was trying to protect them from the wind today!

If you haven't seen it, check it out HERE. During the day it's in color. It's my new favorite thing!



Keep your love of nature,
for that is the true way
to understand art more and more.

~Vincent van Gogh



16 comments:

Don said...

I like these... let it rain... it adds to the watercolor. :)

turid said...

I am amazed at how well you are able to catch the light! How stunning. You are so talented Lucinda! Beautiful!

Cobalt Violet said...

Don, you're right, it works for the watercolor but not so much for pastels! :)

Thanks Turid! You're the sweetest!

PoetessWug said...

I like your watercolor painting!...And thanks for the hook-up to the LIVE eagle show! I'll be checking in on that now from time to time. :-]

none said...

Your watercolor painting is so perfectly peaceful. I love it! And I also love that Vincent Van Gogh quote...so true.

mermaid gallery said...

the pastels really fill out the colors of the water color...looks fantastic!

KathyA said...

these are really wonderful! It occurs to me, too, that a little rain -- quite a little -- might enhance plein air!

Kerry O'Gorman said...

That painting looks like an old Master! Bellisimo! I will have to look up this technique. I love mixing media and this has such amazing results...thanks

Fernando Pena said...

Good works Lucinda

Karena said...

I will make more time for plein aire painting this spring!

Thank you for the reminder of how enjoyable it can be!

Come and join my Fashionable Giveaway from the French Basketeer!

Xoxo
Karena

Art by Karena

A Brush with Color said...

Wow--these are stunning, Lucinda--I hope you frame and hang them. You should be really proud of yourself. They're really impressive.

Glad you liked the eagle cam--they just fascinate me. Every day they grow so much.

1 Year Old Birthday Party Ideas said...

Oh, I wish I could also paint. This is awesome.

Anonymous said...

Yep

Craftsman of light said...

Lucinda,
Love the way Nature oozes through your fingers....
Happpy Easter to You!
col

heartbug said...

Paintings can be almost as intricate and perfect as photographs; they also offer a lot of artistic license; you will get to look at the lush landscape and the artist’s ability to work creatively at the same time.
modern paintings

Candy said...

Beautiful! Such rich, glowing colors!

Vincent van Gogh was absolutely right.