For Artists Who Love the Outdoors

This piece was not what I hoped for. The aspen grove between the hills really caught me, and I got set up by mid-morning, but somehow couldn't make it work. This happens, and I know that what I should do is learn from it. I think in this case, I wasn't clear about what I wanted to paint. Did I want to get the gold of the aspens against the hillside, or the contrast of motions within the grove, trunks slanting left and right, or the movement of the hills and cloud formations? Because I wasn't clear about what I was painting, the piece wasn't successful generally, although I do like the movement in the sky and the echoing movement in the aspen grove and left hillside. So I came away with something for my efforts. 

May 27, 2013 I can't say I still feel this way. Looking at the piece now, I like it better. I'm farther away from the scene which acted as my stimulus, so I can lure the piece on its own merits. I like its simplicity and the feel it has of the foothills. The problem I have with painting en plein air is that I end up putting this imaginary frame around nature, instead of using the scene as a stimulus for my own composition. Plein air work is more about emotional response than design, it seems to me. Because I'm working against the clock, I am also working against thoughtful composition. My goal this year will be to try and achieve a better blend of feeling and design.