En plein Air

I was sixteen years old when I first tried painting “en plein air”.  Since then, almost all of my painting has been done indoors and, despite much counsel about the good reasons to work outside and frequent urgings to do so, I have not felt secure in my ability to do so.

Last summer, my granddaughter Clara, decided she had had enough of my excuses and said she was coming to visit and we were going to find a place to paint outside.

How could I refuse!

It was easy to decide where to go.  We slipped my canoe in the water at Marysville, floated past the back of the property where I grew up and tied the canoe against the same bank on which I stood over sixty years ago to make this unfinished attempt.

I can’t find a name for the place on any map but memory tells me this was called Fisher’s Pool. It has changed very little over the years and the very distinctive rocks on the far shore are unmoved after all those floods and ice flows.

So - here is my latest attempt at ‘en plein air’ painting. 

I also took some photos to work from and I think I found a little more freedom in its execution because of Clara’s push to get outside.

Fisher's Pool

Thank you Clara!  It was such a great day!