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

Plein Air OPAS

This is the first painting of five I completed over a two day period in a plein air competition in Licking County, Ohio.

12" x 16" oil on panel

Reeves Farm 12" x 16"

Another Painting Completed in Licking County

I'm participating in the Ohio Plein Air Society competition. this weekend. The sky looked pretty threatening this morning but it didn't rain, and I was grateful for that. This scene was painted south of Johnstown on State Route 37.

9x12

Oil on Linen

Somewhere Near Newark, Ohio

I was pretty happy with this, the third painting I did today. I spent less time on it and it is smaller than the other two, but I really enjoyed painting it. The sun was hiding behind clouds by the time I set up my easel but that didn't bother me at all.

Field on Cotterman Road

9" x 12"

oil on linen

South Vienna Prairie

A friend and I traveled south on Saturday to South Vienna for a paintout sponsored by the OPAS (Ohio Plein Air Society) It was a chilly day for April with temps in the mid forties and some wind but I put on my gloves, scarf and hoodie and manged to come up with a painting. The muted colors of early spring are hard to work with in my opinion.

9" x 12" oil on linen

Tipp City Ohio Paintout

I attended an OPAS paintout at Tipp City on Saturday. It was a great painting day because it wasn't too hot or too cool and the light was very consistent. I finished two paintings but didn't have enough energy to stay for the wet paint sale, knowing i had a two hour drive in front of me.

The Gallery Hotel 11" x 14" -- $450 framed in a silver plein air frame
and Country Wagon 8" x 10" -- $150 framed in a gold plein air style frame (SOLD)

Sauder Village paint out with OPAS August 16, 2010

The Ohio Plein Air Society, of which I am a proud member, sponsored a paint out at Sauder Village in Archbold, OH last Saturday. It rained all week and cleared up for the weekend so I was grateful as I was a co-sponsor of the event. I did two paintings: a scene of the adjoining farm in the morning and later after a group critique I took my bored daughter home and returned to the village green where an Antique Car show was in progress. I quickly chose a bright red car as my subject and set up the French easel (my speed at setting this up is improving--- really, it is).
Knowing I had exactly 1 hour and 45 minutes before the Village closed gave me a deadline to finish and I always paint better, faster and looser if I know there is a deadline. Here is Don's 1929 Cabrolet (sp?) which he purchased as soon as I finished.
Below it is the landscape, which I brought home and tweaked a bit. The horse was not recognizable as such until I worked it a bit more.
All in all, a great day of plein air painting.