Plein Air Landscapes

"Inverted C" was painted near my home along the Desplaines River.  I probably never would have found this spot if it hadn't been for my old dogs wanting to get as close to the water as possible.  I try to keep Edgar Payne's compositional guidelines in mind.  In my small sketchbook I start with pencil sketches to organize my concept/composition and values.  Most of my plein air work is smaller, about 9"x12," but this oil is 12"x16."

One of my favorite themes is reflections.  I think it's a great tangent for playing with abstract concepts within representational art.  Check out Forrest Moses amazing paintings and monotypes.  "BackYard Reflections is a 8"x10" plein air study in oils.

 Last fall I taught a plein air workshop in Brown County, IN.  The colors were gorgeous and the painting locations amazing.  T.C.Steele estates also allowed us unlimited access.  After class I continued to paint along side a few hardy students.  "Autumn Red" is a 16"x12" plein air piece painted near Nashville, IN.  We will repeat this workshop October 2013.  Contact me for further information.

Brown County Plein Air Workshop 2012