Productivity incognito!

Monday was a good day. I got to paint in San Antonio after I picked up a painting from JR Mooney's (the framers). I came away with two incomplete zketches and a mind swimming with inspiration. I'll have to go back in time in the next post and show you the last two paintings I liked. Not right now, though.

After I picked up Live Oak Lineup (I'll show you later...) from the framers, I booked it to the San Antonio Botanic Gardens and ended up painting in the parking lit. The sun was setting, there was fantastic color, the trees in the background ranged from gray-greens to pink and purple- it was awesome! The light was changing so fast that each time I looked up I saw a different gorgeous scene than the one I was working on. I had to laugh! It felt good to be racing time again. I haven't done much plein air in a while. (Sometimes just a few days without feels like n eternity.) I have been working on letting my artistic license get some air. My colors have really benefited from it. The only problem I had while working on this sketch was that I was a bit uncomfortable with my environment. I jumped every time a breeze pushed a leaf, scratching across the pavement behind me. Mot knowing the area can be a little nerve wracking when when painting alone. So for the next painting I called a friend who is not currently a painter, but seems to be a possible (and willing) convert. (A note to my fellow painters out there- Adding to the ranks, baby! We shall rule the wooorld- Muahahahahahahahaha!)

I have been wanting to do some night painting for a while now, but as you may have guessed, the idea of doing so without companions is a little scary. More often than not, I do not know that someone has been breathing down my neck while I am painting until they have been there for a while.

Hence, the tour guide/body guard/possible future painting buddy (evil chuckle). After grilling me for a idea of what I wanted to paint, we around to several very nice possible venues, but we settled on a schnazzy spot on the river walk. Gaaaawgeous! Imagine warm spheres of light and flashing fireflies of color in strands, dangling form trees and bridges, all reflecting off of a sweet little strip of water. Mmm mmm mm. It was cool, baby. It was cool.

Next time, I am going to have a light source on my easel to light my palette. I had a light overhead, but it was dim and my colors were waaaay off. Had to practically stick your nose in the paint to see the sketch.

The reference photo blew my socks off. The sketch is not so bad, needs more definition in the reflection of the bridge in the water, the color of the bridge needs variation, and ... well... I'm not going to take the sketch any further because I am going to paint this scene again, but much much larger.