041917 16x12 Hot Spring Day in the Forest

This is the second, spring, plein air oil painting that was trapped in my camera phone when my SIM card locked up.  The phone company sent me a new SIM card but I used a burner phone for the next month until it expired.  So I am just now uploading these shots.

My field notes on the back of the painting say, "Downright Hot!  80 degrees, cloud sun mix, Lovely spring day.  Wild purple phlox."

I love this spot in the forest on a bluff overlooking the creek.  Kendra, my dog, finds a spot down by the creek to curl up on.

I set up my pochade which is already pre-loaded with oil paint.  I pretty much know how much paint I need for a 12" x 16" painting.  There are always the challenges of working around trees, limbs, creeks, rocks and other obstacles to get the right vantage point.

I sketch out the basic scene on my pre-tinted panel.

Here's a longer view with Kendra down by the creek.

I mix a nice earth tone using Cadmium Red Medium and Ultramarine Blue and start blocking in the creek area and bluff.

Using combos of violet and a spring green, I block in the forest both near and distant.

I start adding the trees and blocking in the sky.

The sky color is added to the reflections on the creek.  I cover the entire surface with the major shapes and values and then start adding details.

Here's my set up with the creek in the background.  I keep adding details like the purple phlox and the redbud in bloom.

Kendra patiently waits until she sees I am packing up, finished with the painting.  She seems to instinctively know just how long it takes to complete a painting and starts stretching just as I am wrapping up.

And here is the finished painting:

"Hot Spring Day in the Forest With Redbuds and Purple Phlox, April 19, 2017", oil on panel, plein air, 16" x 12", c. 2017 by Charlene Marsh

Thanks so much for follwoing along!

Happy Trails!

Cheers,

Charlene