Hello spring, hello plein air painting!

Day 1, painting in Hinsdale, NH


With this recent, amazing weather, I have been eager to get outside, break out the easel, and paint.  For the past week I've been painting in Hinsdale, NH, which is about 20 minutes south east of Brattleboro. You may wonder why I set my easel up on the pavement as opposed to the grass. I positioned myself in this spot, to get just the sight that you see in this picture, with the barn peaking in from the right hand side and the ridge of the landscape and mountains in the background. However, after about three hours into the painting, something just didn't feel right. With any artform, you may think you have an idea, but in the making, instinct and reflection may say different. And in this case, my gut was telling me that I needed to simplify and eliminate.The barn just had to go. Despite it seeming like a nice idea at first, I had to get ride of it entirely. Though this particular work still remains somewhat unresolved, now the painting feels has a little bit more breathing room, and in fact, and feels more peaceful. I have since scraped down this painting twice more and repainted the surface again. After three days outside, this painting will now go to the studio where I will work from memory and incorporate a little invention to bring it to completion.