Life on the Ranch and in the Studio, and on the Road

An impromptu PleinAir painting in the pasture.....

Dick and Sage came in from morning chores around 10am, after taking a 'Look-See' of damages sustained after last night and yesterdays tornadoes and high winds across the state. Dick came bearing images on his phone of a beautiful 'shelf fungi' in bright white and bright oranges and gold.

I decided this would be a great time to grab the pastels and head to the pasture, while Dick  fixed fence from downed trees. One big loss was a beautiful red cedar in the edge of the big pasture near where Dick took images of the fungi. (more on this interesting fungi, later)

Arriving at the site, I discovered the fungi had already morphed, in less than an hour, into a more subtle color of orange and grayed white, but it was in full sunlight. Wonderful! I love to paint orange colors. I must hurry as the sun continues to move. 

Still intrigued, I began setting up, which only took a few minutes, only to discover in my excitement, I had left my pochade box in the kitchen. I was equipped with a few colored pencils and some really bright Terry Ludwigs and the 'Reds' and 'Hots'  of Diane Townsend. Not exactly what I had in mind when I got so excited to paint this subject. 

Not to be totally disappointed, I decided to try to make the best of the situation, and get something down on paper. I didn't want to miss the whole experience. UGH! 

I roughly, and I mean roughly, sketched on a mauve colored sanded pastelmat with the few pastels I had. Bright orange, purple for the shadows and greens for the grasses. Oh, I don't have any neutrals. Just put down basic colors, with those I have as closely as I have at my disposal.  I came up with a utterly bright abstract of the still changing colors, shelf fungi.

Not right colors, and there was no way I could have painted this flora accurately, as it continued to change colors as I observed it. Then all of a sudden it was in the shadows, again a major shift in the colors I was observing. Then the wind came up and blew my hat off and the flies started attacking, just when I thought things might settle down. 

Okay....Time to retreat to the studio and paint from the photos taken while experiencing the pastel painting plein air in the pasture.....I know I am a fair weather painter and it sounds so exciting to travel to Lake Tahoe this week with the Plein Air Convention going on out there, but I'm glad I didn't spend $$$ going that far to experience the disappointment I did in my own pasture. I really have painted PleinAir before and thoroughly enjoy the experience. There is nothing quite like seeing the real colors of nature. Plein Air is not supposed to be a perfect picture or even framed for that matter, but to be a 'study' of the subject and the colors experienced while on the site. 

I recall reading a book about Thomas Moran and his experience on the Expedition to explore the unknown areas which would later become the first National Park in the park system, known as Yellowstone. He painted vibrant colors of the smudg pots, the orange edges of the pools of bright turquoise that he saw. Taking these paintings back to Congress, they doubted he could have seen those colors in real life. But oh yes, he had indeed seen those beautiful colors. He had not exaggerated their vibrancy.

This is one of the reasons artists go outside and paint from true life. To capture the vibrancy, is the test. And to make it believable. I am such a fan of Thomas Moran and fell in love with his work when the 'Thomas Moran' Exhibit was at the Gilcrease, in 1998. This was to commenorate the 125th anniversary of the creation of the Yellowstone National Park. I loved it so much I went back five times. Ann Moran, in Tulsa did such a beautiful job with that exhibit that traveled from the National Gallery to the Gilcrease, and then on to Seattle Art Museum. It was a once in a lifetime exhibit. It brought together for the first time, three enormous paintings that Moran had repeatedly tried to bring together during his lifetime, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, 1872, Chasm of the Colorado, 1893, and Mountain of the Holy Cross, 1875.

So, I will try again another day. Plein Air painting isn't for everyone. I will prepare better tomorrow and get an earlier start on my PleinAir painting in the pasture. Now I have created my muse for tomorrow. I hope it isn't raining. 

I enjoyed being outside and am so Blessed to have the opportunity to paint on my own property when I want to. 

Do what pleases you today! Take time to muse yourself. 

Happy painting! 

Burneta

PS. Back in the studio, I researched the Shelf fungi and discovered it is also known as 'Chicken of the Woods' mushroom. They are edible as well as being colorful. It was not a wasted morning 'Painting in the pasture' at the edge of the woods. Tomorrow is another day! So true, Charlette, quoting from Gone With the Wind.