Side Street Parking, 14 x 11, watercolor
I spotted these wonderful old red buildings on a side street in North Bennington, Vermont. Spilling out of the doorways of this lawnmower repair shop were a quirky assortment of snowblowers, lawnmowers and even an exercise cycle. While I am sure this haphazard assortment of metal and tires mixed in with weeds and spare parts is an eyesore to some, it was something I really wanted to capture.
Partway through the sketch it started to rain pretty hard so I jumped under the overhang of a back door entrance to a shop. The rain was on and off, and each time it stopped I stepped out to work on the painting more. I loved the rain spatters in the tree foliage (far right)... and it worked great with wet washes in the roadway.
I love the ink pens I use... Faber Castell PITT artist pens. They are waterproof and archival ink quality. Great for plein air sketchers!
I finished up my painting and with the help of the beauty salon (my back door shop!) I dried it with their dryers!
I walked across the street to join my friends Mary and Andrew who were painting under umbrellas and car hatchbacks. Loved Andrew's set up with a big tarp covering his easel and keeping his legs and feet dry. A board props up the hatchback of his Volvo station wagon so he can sit further back.
Plein air painters have to improvise all the time! It's part of the adventure!
2 comments:
Jane, is this a repost of this painting? I could have sworn I'd commented on this very beautiful painting before! Though I do not remember the photos beneath this top piece. Either a strong sense of deja vu or I am losing my marbles. Probably the latter. At any rate, I think this is a fabulous piece and I love seeing scenes of a state I've always wished to visit!
Great blog, especially interesting to me as just started plein air myself. A bit daunting but very exciting stuff. Thanks for the inspiration to continue. Laura x
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