Spring Skying

There are many ways of working outside, en plein air –  but it seems to me you can either: take a mental snapshot of the scene lit as it is when you begin, get it down quickly and stick with that image no matter what changes.

Or, you can respond in the moment to what you’re experiencing. The shifting light is the most compelling aspect of landscape painting for me, the constant transformation that occurs.

And that’s the most challenging thing about working en plein air.  Everything is moving. I love it. My natural impulse is to control everything, and you can only do so much of that working en plein air. I have my setup dialled in – portable easel, palette, umbrella, stool – I can control that (to an extent). I place everything where I need it, the same way every time, so I don’t have to think about it. I usually scout the location before I go, noting time of day and weather.

On the day I painted this piece, it was early Spring. It was sunny with just enough cloud passing over to make the shadows dance and the evergreens glow. A perfect day.