This is a plein air sketch from on the trail up to Chickahominy Mountain, in the Caughey-Taylor Nature Preserve. I painted it on my way back down after scrambling to the top of the mountain. It was a hard scramble to the top. I'd ended up leaving my painting gear behind about 40 feet down from the summit. There was a boulder I could just not find my way around with a bulky, heavy backpack on my shoulders. It was just as well. The view from the summit was mostly hidden by trees. The view was much better from the spot where I ended up painting. I was tired from the climb to the top, and almost did not paint. It seemed like too much of a struggle to set up my easel, so I made a compromise with myself: I'd paint using a boulder to support my painting and palette and just sketch for 20 minutes. So that is what I did.
I was sketching, not “making a painting” so I did a rough drawing, splashed paint on my paper in the complete wrong order, and made what I felt was a complete mess of things.
And yet, when I finished (I went over the 20 minutes by about 10 more minutes) there was a lot to like about my little messy sketch.
So, as I write this, I have the start of a larger, less messy painting of this view. I'll update you if it turns out.
Here's my boulder worktop. It might have been easier to have actually set up my easel, in retrospect!
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This painting is a watercolour on paper. It is not for sale as I am using it as a reference for another painting.
This is a plein air sketch from on the trail up to Chickahominy Mountain, in the Caughey-Taylor Nature Preserve. I painted it on my way back down after scrambling to the top of the mountain. It was a hard scramble to the top. I'd ended up leaving my painting gear behind about 40 feet down from the summit. There was a boulder I could just not find my way around with a bulky, heavy backpack on my shoulders. It was just as well. The view from the summit was mostly hidden by trees. The view was much better from the spot where I ended up painting. I was tired from the climb to the top, and almost did not paint. It seemed like too much of a struggle to set up my easel, so I made a compromise with myself: I'd paint using a boulder to support my painting and palette and just sketch for 20 minutes. So that is what I did.
I was sketching, not “making a painting” so I did a rough drawing, splashed paint on my paper in the complete wrong order, and made what I felt was a complete mess of things.
And yet, when I finished (I went over the 20 minutes by about 10 more minutes) there was a lot to like about my little messy sketch.
So, as I write this, I have the start of a larger, less messy painting of this view. I'll update you if it turns out.
Here's my boulder worktop. It might have been easier to have actually set up my easel, in retrospect!
—-
This painting is a watercolour on paper. It is not for sale as I am using it as a reference for another painting.