©2011 Brittany Lane Allen
Impending Spring
11" X 14", Soft Pastel on Texturized Mat Board
We had the most beautiful Saturday afternoon. Temperatures actually reached the mid-30's. It practically felt like summer. My plein air painting group, the SRPAP, had an outing near Deer Park. I didn't dress quite warm enough and nearly froze my face off, but it was wonderfully fun.
I truly enjoyed this painting. The location was so quiet and serene. The geese, birds, and livestock made occasional noises. The pigeons kept peppering the sky above the barn. I spotted a great horned owl, a bald eagle, and several mule deer. In the far distance there were swans on the riverbank. The wind was also minimal, which is a rare treat.
The sheep/goat farmer that works the land stopped by with her boarder collie for a visit, on her way to get the mail. (Just a 1/2 mile walk.) Such a beautiful place. I'm going to try to visit again in the fall and catch the sunflower field she told me about.
The sky was perfectly overcast, which is so wonderful for painting outdoors because your lighting stays practically the same for hours on end! I was nearly three hours into painting when I realized that I couldn't feel my fingers anymore and it was probably time to call it quits. I wore thin disposable plastic gloves over thin knit gloves. It worked well until the texture of my board peeled off the finger tips. Next time a scarf would also be handy.
2 comments:
I love that painting! What a beautiful place to go. It's always this time of year that I underdress too. It seems just warm enough to go with only a jacket, but when I stay outside too long, I freeze my tail off!
Love the painting, it looks like home! I still wish I had an tiny spot of your talent.
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