The Sketch Pad - Volume 2
Today’s installment is one plein aire painting of my backyard. Well, part of it. 
I was sitting out by the back corner, facing towards my neighbor’s yard, overlooking part of what used to be my miniature horse’s pen. 
(Damned stupid small town two-faced politics, anyhow! $%#!# But, enough on that subject.)
OKAY, where was I? 
Oh yes, this is a little 45 minute painting of some greenery and part of the fenceline in my backyard. It’s late afternoon and the sun is shining through the leaves of our ash, maple and willow trees, and the blue sky is beginning to show slight signs of grey puff clouds forming. May mean storms overnight, yay, I love storms! When I first began this piece, I was tempted to scrap it. I can’t draw landscapes! I was just wasting my time, I might as well go back into the house and paint some real paintings. But no, I forced myself to sit and stay put, to see it through to find out what I could come up with. I knew if I stuck to it long enough to flesh it out, it would turn out halfways decent. At least so that I wouldn’t want to throw it away anyway. But I must say, I’m glad I made myself stay there and finish it. It turned out pretty nice! It does indeed look like my yard, and the lighting in this piece (you have to see it in person to appreciate it, the scan lacks the vibrancy of the actual work)…..it feels like I’m sitting in my backyard. So I’m slowly starting to catch on to this plein aire stuff. There is something to be said for drawing from real life that you just can’t achieve using photos and attempting hyper realism.
On a side note, I notice I’m sadly lacking in some key colors in my pastels. All I seem to have are horse colors. Gee, I wonder why?
Here is today’s offering, 8″ x 10″ pastel on suede, entitled “Where art thou, Cruiser?”
