Rocky Rest-North Yuba River

Painting #1 on Arches 140# rough 7 x 9 inches

I finally ended up with some paintings that I am happy with. I have been in a somewhat picky mood and I didn’t feel like posting my last batch of plein air paintings but I felt more in the groove this time around. I could probably bring in more blue to set off that embankment of trees, I might go ahead and do that, maybe not!

painting #2 on Arches 140# cp 7 x 9 inches

My photo was at a slant, I didn’t realize it until I uploaded it….no, I didn’t paint it crooked. I decided to have another go at the same scene. The colors on those oaks on the left side was very difficult because fall is already coming and the colors was this wonderful yellowish gold.

My scene for my first paintings

I decided to go simple with the river, I have a tendency to try too hard to capture the river and I usually over-paint it. I am purposely going simple and will continue to work it slowly up in order to teach myself how to capture it well enough.

painting #3 on Saunders #200 11 x 14 inches

It was so difficult to capture this scene because of the rocks looking pretty much the same and in full sun except for the foreground rocks. I loved the color of the river, so beautiful and also hard to paint. That bend goes around to a large rapids which is referred to Maytag to the locals here.

My scene

I didn’t quite bring in enough dark on the foreground but I am not too worried about it because I always have another day to try. I am trying to become more relaxed about not expecting to get a perfect painting each and every time I plein air paint. After all I am after feeling and a sense of place.

painting #4 on Saunders #200 7 x 9 inches

This photo shows too much blue, keep that in mind when viewing this. I was running out of steam when I did this painting and I struggled with the values and I am not too worried about it as I plan to do a studio painting of this scene but on a larger scale and more of the background as well.

I didn’t go as abstract as I wanted, again I was pulled in by the mechanics and the elements. I had planned on doing some charcoal studies but I was too anxious to get to the watercolor, maybe next time.

Learning Points:

• Again it takes up to 30 minutes when your “artist eyes” kicks in.
• Don’t judge as you paint especially during the warm-up stage when your eye to brain to hand is trying to coordinate.
• It is alright to take a painting back to the studio to finish, I did!
• I encourage artists to get out and plein air paint, as I painted in the studio I was mentally out at the scene finishing up. I used a photo reference but my experience allows for my memory and imagination to take over.

On the North Yuba Trail at Rocky Rest