It was three and one half spectacular days of painting with friends.
On the second day, we painted in Noyo Harbor, directly below the hotel where we stayed. I did another 16 x 20 oil on canvas. Again, I was striving for a more finished painting than is typical for me when painting plein air. I think I managed it fairly well.
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| Final Rest in Noyo Harbor Plein Air Oil on 16" x 20" Canvas |
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On day three we traveled down the highway a few miles to Mendocino. I didn't want to do a seascape, although there is plenty of temptation everywhere you look in this lovely spot on the California coast. Finally I walked down toward the sea and looked back up at the town. The big crisp light on the building in the foreground captured my attention. This picture was taken with my iPhone onsite.
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| Mendocino Post Card Plein Air Oil on 16" x 20" canvas |
Our fourth day was also getaway day, so we only painted until noon. For convenience we returned to Noyo Harbor. For the first time, the morning was overcast. I set up and begin to paint in a shadowless muted environment, but by 11 am, the sun was out again and I was painting in intensely bright light without an umbrella. When I got it home, I was surprised at how very dark my painting was. This is a lesson I should have already learned...since it's a mistake I've made more than once. You MUST put up an umbrella to shield your canvas and palette in bright sunlight. If you don't, you're likely to be amazed at how dark your painting is once it is returned to room light or defused sunlight. I spent about 1/2 hour in my studio at home lightening the painting carefully. Essentially, I added a bit of light in the foliage in the background and some light touches on the pier, selected pilings and a few objects in the foreground.
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| Noyo Harbor Memories Plein Air on 12" x 16" canvas panel |
What a fabulous plein air trip you have had in Fort Bragg. I love your new paintings and my favorite is "Noyo Harbor Memories". How lovely to see the old dock shack. Beautiful work.
ReplyDeleteLove Final Rest!
ReplyDeleteVickie
Hi Ruth and Vickie....we missed you both on this great trip. You would not have believed the weather...it was maybe even BETTER than when we were all there last year. I appreciate your nice comments about the paintings. I feel like I did better this year. I've been doing more painting...and attending more workshops...and maybe it's beginning to pay off! Thank you again, guys. Let's see if we can paint before the weather turns bad...we still have some time.
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