en plein air
West Texas mountain ranchland in summer
This is the view out the window of my studio from where my easel stands. One balmy summer day, instead of painting, I found myself watching these gilded clouds form and float and dance over the mountains. I abandoned the painting I'd been working on and placed this small canvas on my easel, so I suppose this is a "interior plein air" ! This spot on the ranch is 6000 feet above sea level, so the air was crisp and the mountains, soft in new growth.
This miniature original glows. I love it when I can make that happen! One of the differences in a painted sketch and in a full-fledged painting is the degree of underpainting I do. This is a fully developed painting, even though it is tiny, because of the layered color. Detail matters too, but for me, it's the underlying layers of color shining through that polish a painting to completion.
- Framed: 14 x 16 x 1 in (35.56 x 40.64 x 2.54 cm)
- Subject Matter: Landscape, miniature
- Collections: Far West Texas Landscapes, Miniatures