Sunday, June 22, 2014

Gettysburg Festival Plein air



“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.

"The Battlefield"
10 x 14"
Watercolor

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