Painting What's at Hand

Bad glare but you get the idea...

The recent full moon reminded me of this sketch I did last fall, which now sits in a pile of forgotten sketches in the studio. This painting did not turn out great (for one thing, the paint is so thick I can't get a decent photo of it) but was a fun exercise and I learned a lot in a small window of time without travelling far to do a plein air painting.

When you have a limited amount of time, you can't spend an hour loading equipment in the truck and searching for the perfect scene, so, I did this from the driveway of my house as the moon rose slowly and silently over the trees - and apartment buildings - across the street. Okay, not very romantic, I know, but there was plenty of color and values to paint. I enjoyed the two different light sources and was able to use my Ott light with an extension cord, another advantage of painting close to home. (I have some long extension cords, but they do have limits ;). My wife was gone for the evening, but the dog got to watch the whole process and every time I got cold, I just went inside for another cup of coffee. Not a bad setup, with the whole process taking about 90 minutes

I do like to roam, sans extension cords, and find a picturesque location when I have the chance, but if time is limited then pick something at hand and just do it. Even if you scrape it off, it is time spent with your paints, and that is never wasted.