Adirondack Creek
5×7″ Oil
Plein air
©2013 Lucinda Howe

On the painting trip last month, Barbara Yongue, Glenda Keyes and I spent a few days in Vermont, then took a ferry over to the Adirondack Mountains of New York.  We were part of a group of 100 artists at the Publisher’s Invitational Paint Out at Paul Smith’s College.

The first morning we painted at the Visitor Interpretive Center where miles of trails provided a variety of eco systems and beautiful views.  The bridge at Heron Marsh was a poplar location with several painters elbow to elbow in direct sun.  Since my first rule of plein air painting is to find a spot in the shade, I walked further along the path and came to a bridge over a small creek.  Dappled sunlight highlighted moss on the rocks and contrasted with the cool greens in the shade.

For this painting, I started with a board toned with yellow ochre and used a variety of greens and earth colors.  I used a narrow range of values to create a quiet atmosphere and to capture a bit of intimate nature that others might pass by in search of a grand vista.

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P.S. If you subscribe to Plein Air Magazine, look at page 86 of the new issue (September 2013) and see if you can spot Glenda, Barbara, and me in the middle of the 100 painters.  I hope you have a strong magnifying glass.