Sunday, October 24, 2010

Trees and the Red Mountains

The bright yellow trees against the purple mtn. was fantastic to paint.  When I was really looking at it that morning  the dark color behind the trees almost looked black. This was our first day at Ghost Ranch, under a large tree, in front of the main check in lodge, and trading post.  A large field was in front of us, and a poor horse with a terrible sway back was just grazing around the pasture.  Everyone in the class just jumped in and started to paint, the bright colors that were in front of us.  Ann Templeton did a demo after lunch, she has a light touch, doesn't use any white until the last finishing stage of the painting.  As I look at this painting now, it could use a few changes, but I like to just leave them alone once I get home.  The fast work you do outside isn't always perfect, but it is fun.  If you keep going back into the painting, you might as well just stay home and paint in the studio, and make it perfect. This was a fun girl trip, and we all had to fly into Santa Fe with all the equipment for a week of painting outside.  It takes alot of planning to get the right equipment, paints, easels and umbrellas into your suitcase.  Because we are oil painting, we get the paint all over us.  Old clothes and comfortable shoes are a must, it is just about painting and you forget everything else in the world.  Ok, I did take a little radio, I had to know what was going on in the real world. 

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