Overcast

 

Again And Again

 As I continue to paint this location over and over again, I keep finding more to express.  The level of detail keeps increasing.  The ability to include more elements within the painting, and to be able to explore color further is only possible because of all the paintings that came before.  It is whatever it can be within a three hour window. I never go back to work on the painting a second time, and I don't work on it in the studio.

Good Morning, Afternoon, and Good Night

A couple of weekends ago I had the single most productive day of plein air painting.  It was a plein air marathon.  I painted from 9am till 6pm.  There were no breaks.  It was one painting after the next.

My first painting had a more complicated foreground and took longer than expected.  This is the first time that I developed the agave in the foreground.  The painting measures 36x24 inches and was painted on board with pastel.

The conditions changed as I finished up the first painting.  The overcast conditions changed everything.  Usually the afternoon paintings in Laguna are sunny.  I really liked what the sky was doing. My focus was dialed in.  It is one thing to be in the zone for a couple of hours; but to maintain that focus over the course of eight hours was exhausting.  The overcast conditions made it a little easier because I wasn't having to battle lighting changes.  This plein air painting is 24x36 inches and is pastel on board.

 By the time I started the third painting of the day, the sun was beginning to set.  I do not consider myself a tight painter.  As each painting progressed so did my flow.  Everything just happened like I was on auto pilot.  As this painting progressed the lighting began to change quickly.  Usually I lock in the sky at the start, but I really loved what it was doing and I chased the light.  That is the beauty of pastel; you can react so quickly within the painting.  The rocks became more simplified as the day progressed.  I wanted to develop the water in the foreground the shapes and patterns were really attractive to me. This painting measures 24x24 inches and is a pastel on board.

The best day painting for me...ever.