Painting outside is always a challenge. There’s either too much sun, or no sun at all; it’s too cold, too hot, too windy, too buggy - perfect conditions are hard to come by. So we learn to persevere and create despite the weather. And sometimes, quite honestly, it's the experience of painting under trying circumstances that is the success of the day. I recently participated in Pacific Northwest Plein Air, a paint out and exhibit organized by the Columbia Center for the Arts in Hood River, Oregon. There is an amazing variety of beautiful scenery in this part of the country. Each day we painted at a different location with varied landscape options.
The temperature was in the 90’s every day. For my Puget Sound thermometer – that’s hot. I was constantly seeking shade. One day we painted alongside the Columbia River at Stevenson, Washington. There were lovely views of the rocks and trees at the water’s edge as well as more distant views of the river and the mountains beyond. The challenge this day was that it was alternately brilliant light and sharp contrasts when the sun was out, or grayed tones and medium values when the sun would slip behind dark clouds. Not just fluffy white clouds but big black clouds that threatened rain. It was like a strobe light flashing on and off every ten minutes as the sun wove in and out of these dark clouds. None of my paintings came out that day.
Here are a few samples of paintings I did with more consistent light. The show at Columbia Center for the Arts will be up until September 25. It is a fabulous exhibit with some of the finest painters in the Northwest displaying their talents.
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