Fair Oaks Village Coffee House - Plein Air

I joined several other members of the Sacramento Plein Air Painters at the park in Fair Oaks Village this morning.  It was gorgeous weather and the park was in cool shade all morning.  I've painted the Coffee House across from the park on previous occasions, but this time I tried a bit different approach.  The biggest change was to go to a 6 x 12 format, which is becoming a favorite.  It feels so much more correct for landscapes, and even some cityscapes seem to fit well.  I started the painting on a 9 x 12 panel, but realized almost instantly that I was going to end up with exactly the same painting as previous attempts if I didn't do something different.  I quickly picked up my preliminary pencil  sketch and drew in the elongated border of a 6 x 12....and it looked like it would work fine. I had one panel of that size with me. It was already pre-toned and away I went. 

I resolved to paint loosely and to strive for contrast.  I exaggerated the shadow darkness and I like the result.  The umbrellas were the obvious color focus, so I pushed those just a bit in brightness as well. 

Before I finished, the owner of the Coffee Shop came over and bought my painting.  This photo is all I have left to remind me of a good day in Fair Oaks Village.

Fair Oaks Village Coffee House   Plein Air oil on panel   6" x 12"

 


My Art Site: Bruce Hancock Fine Art