Garden at the Barns

 

Not every day en plein air is sunshine and roses.  I started this oil painting in the rain, careful to keep my panel tilted downward to avoid the water.  Sketching in paint my composition, I quickly blocked in the masses with a large brush. It is important to get paint on the panel before it gets wet, even if loosely.  Once covered, I could then face it up a little to polish my edges and values.  Often times those are a little off when facing down in the rain, lol! I always knock in that light when I start, trying not to chase the light as it changes - especially in the rain. As the sky began to clear, the scene began to change, and it was a good thing I had already captured that magic, because it evaporated with the rain!  So happy this humble painting won the "Barns" theme paint at the Tonganoxie plein air event - and it has a new home, too!  Painting number 3420 in 3420 days.