Across the Meadow
14” x 11”
Acrylic on canvas
We got an early start on this plein air adventure, returning to Echo Basin, just outside of Mancos. Finding a wide place along the road near a house with an interesting old outbuilding—and an even more interesting barn across the road—we parked and set up our easels. My plein air partner chose the old barn as her subject. While I was intrigued with the outbuilding, logistics were against me. I would have had to set up my gear right next to the fence and peer over it to view my subject. That might not have gone well had the property owner come out to find some stranger looking over their fence into their side yard.
So, I opted to stay out of trouble and moved closer to the road. I turned my attention to the south where there was a ridge deep in shadow. Only the eastern-most flank and the jutting folds were lit, glowing a brilliant green with grass that had sprouted thanks to a recent summer shower. After a hot, dry summer and the rain was a welcome gift. That was my warm-up painting.
Then, I broke out another canvas and turned my attention to the meadow below the ridge, rimmed with trees, the foreground thick with golden grasses. I took a more traditional approach with this piece, starting with transparent layers of paint and gradually working toward more opaque layers. I finished off with a bit of iridescent gold (which doesn’t really show in the photo), but added a nice, subtle flair to the piece. (Interestingly, the many transparent layers of paint made this piece difficult to photograph due to reflected light off the texture of the underlying canvas. It shows much better in person.)
We worked until the sun was high and the cool of the morning was long gone. Another delightful day outdoors doing what we love.
