“The battlefield” is the second plein air painting I started
the week of Gettysburg Festival Art Fest as a trial to find a few locations on
the battlefield and to get my bearings with the weather. Needless to say the majority of the day was completely overcast.
There were only a few options; pack up and call it a day,
complete a few preliminary sketches or give it a go. I’m very glad I stuck with it, because I
finally learned to accept the weather and work around the limitations. I was no longer looking for the perfect view,
shadows or the picturesque scene. By the
time I completed the painting I was enjoying the overcast skies and subtle fog
and was even a little bummed when the sun started to come out.
I was also fortunate to meet Carl Whitehill an author for
Destination Gettysburg, who took a few photos and did an amazing write
up online.
Tuesday was a great day not only for meeting
Carl Whitehill and being a part of a great story, but it was also the “ah-ha” moment I
was so reluctant to embrace. My wife
always told me to go out and paint regardless of the weather (unless it was going to rain). I guess I should listen to my wife more often.
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| "The Battlefield" 10 x 14" Watercolor |
