Hart Yard
Friends –
When I went to the Grand Staircase Escalante Art Festival. In addition to painting at the event I had the pleasure of conducting two workshops – Patterns of Nature and Plein Air 4 U. Those allowed me to indulge in the my favorite pleasures of natural science and also kids. Who could ask for more?
But there was more. To top it off, this painting represents one of the two places I was allowed to use to lay my head down at night. I must have gone to heaven; both homes were so rustic and lovely!
As far as painting goes, I endeavored ‘Hart Yard’ standing on the gravel drive of one of those homes using acrylics. I never use acrylics while painting plein air in the desert. They just dry too fast -- faster than the time it takes to get your brush to the canvas. It is difficult. But I persisted, hurriedly, laying in the Canyon wall and some vegetation using only two colors and white. It was done quickly and with little pre-meditation to offset the effect of the dry air on brush and canvas. Rough.
Yet in the end, I found the result more pleasing for the roughness and vowed to finish it at first chance. Well, that elusive chance turned out to be just now -- mid-November -- and as late as it is, a bit of foreground was added. I’m happy with it.
Perhaps the need to work faster than the forces of nature’s arid evapotranspiration was a good thing. I may try acrylics again.
Hart Yard is 11x14” and once framed it will be available for a donation to a worthwhile non-profit. There is so much need.
margie lopez read