Marathon Painting – Day 2

Posted on May 31, 2010 in Blog Post, Plein Air Painting

Sunday was my next outing, another record high day. My truck’s dashboard read that the temperature was in the mid 90’s. I went through two bottles of vitamin water and even donned sunscreen and long sleeves. It was a long hot day.

Starting at Scout Lake, I completed my first painting in less than an hour (5×7″ oil on panel). Packing up quickly, I immediately headed out to a shaded location that I knew of in Wilson Park. I did another small one there (5×7 oil on panel). The smaller paintings seem to work well as warm ups. When I have 50 of these I plan to display them somewhere, side by side.

After lunch and more water in a mercifully air conditioned restaurant, I headed out to Sheridan park again to take advantage of the cooler temperatures and the breeze. This time I was set upon by Indian children, some family festivities going on at a diffferent part of the park. Sundays are for families, apparently. A little girl told me I should use more brown in my water. I had to agree. I used a much more chromatic and thick approach for this painting, (8×10″ oil on panel) I think by this time my concentration was wandering as well. I experimented with a way of capturing the ripples on the lake, but I did not scale the marks well. It is exceptionally difficult to paint something that moves constantly.

After this I drove to get more water and cool off, then returned to the lake front, scoping out several locations in other parks. I finally came upon a very late afternoon view of the docks from Cuppertino Park. I decided to try this even though the light was already dying. The race left me breathless and triumphant at the end of an hour and a half. (8×10″ oil on gessobord) I will definitely have to go back and attempt this again with more time, but I think I had a breakthru with regards to painting faster and more gesturally.

The first competition begins late next week. Thursday and Friday I will be in Beloit, Sunday as well. I’ve got a week to get three frames together for this. I may get another outing in before then.