Quiet Glory

Paste, 9x12, en Plein Air

I chose to paint the Mayport Presbyterian Church with the First Coast Plein Air Painters.  Painting buildings is a challenge for me, and I have to concentrate on perspective, proportions, and vertical edges.  I have found that the way I stand when painting en plein air I tend to make everything slant left even when my initial drawing is accurate, so my result with this old church is a small success for me.

This small white church radiated the quiet grace in which it stands as an inspiration for the faithful.  It was a rewarding way to spend a Saturday morning with friends from the FCPAP.

Breezes

Pastel 9x6 

This small painting was inspired by the atmosphere of the beach when the sea fog moves in with the strong winds of autumn.  The bright colors are swept away and the horizon almost disappears. A few spots of color persist in the shadows, but they are overwhelmed by the brightness of the mid-day.

Suggestions

Pastel 9x9

Plein Air

Painted at Jacksonville Arboretum last Friday. I added a few touches this morning and signed it. This was an exercise of assembling widely scattered elements from the vista into a small space.

Early in the painting process, I struggled with the values and composition. Then as the shadows moved, I realized that a major feature of the bank in the back ground had been there all along. 

I need to remember to walk through the landscape as much as possible so that I know the objects that are in shade and shadow.