All plein air painters have stories to tell and this is one about humility. I was working on this painting of Paint Creek and getting very frustrated. The light was changing constantly and it was difficult to focus on the forms. I wanted to scrub the panel clean but I tried another approach and began to record shapes and colors without thinking about the subject matter. The painting began to come together and I felt pretty proud of myself. I heard a woman behind me gasp "Wow, would you look at that!" Feeling smug I turned to accept her compliment when she said "Have you ever seen anything as cute as that squirrel? I had been so engrossed in my painting that I failed to notice the squirrel on the tree next to me which was trying its best to beg for food. Paint Creek was a lesson in shapes and colors as well as humility.
All plein air painters have stories to tell and this is one about humility. I was working on this painting of Paint Creek and getting very frustrated. The light was changing constantly and it was difficult to focus on the forms. I wanted to scrub the panel clean but I tried another approach and began to record shapes and colors without thinking about the subject matter. The painting began to come together and I felt pretty proud of myself. I heard a woman behind me gasp "Wow, would you look at that!" Feeling smug I turned to accept her compliment when she said "Have you ever seen anything as cute as that squirrel? I had been so engrossed in my painting that I failed to notice the squirrel on the tree next to me which was trying its best to beg for food. Paint Creek was a lesson in shapes and colors as well as humility.
