Plein Air on a Cloudy Day in Ohio

I enjoy painting outside on cloudy days for two reasons. First of all, the light is consistent. Or I should say it's more consistent than it is on sunny days, when shadows move more quickly and it's more difficult to capture them accurately. Secondly, the light is beautiful and pure on an overcast day, and there is little, if any, glare. My eyes have become more sensitive lately and glare makes it impossible for me to paint. Wearing polarized sunglasses is one option but not the best when you're trying to pick up the delicate value changes in a landscape.

This is a scene from Licking County, painted last Saturday. I was drawn to the scene when the sun was shining and I pulled over and set up my easel only to have the sun hide behind clouds just as I was ready to paint, Rather than move, I accepted the scene as it was--it was still very beautiful to me, just in a different way. Soybean fields attract me every year at this time.

12" x 16" oil on linen

Painting on vacation

We are on vacation this week and I have been painting outside because the weather has been perfect. Last weekend I joined over 40 other artists for a paintout at Lakeside, Ohio. This was a three day plein air painting excursion, although I could only attend two days. It was lots of fun and the quaint cottages and old-fashioned shops are wonderful inspirations for painting. So this week I have only landscapes to post for a change. They tend to sell more quickly than my still life paintings so maybe that's a good thing. Below is North on Second Street, 16" x 20", framed in a whitewash solid wooden frame.