At a nearby park this morning, I was working on a plein air oil sketch as the sun peered through fog and clouds. The landscape was changing by the second, and it's a tricky balance to capture the scene, intact.

I scrubbed in the basic colors to cover the canvas, first. Then, I worked on the sky to get the tone right, followed by a suggestion of the colors.

After that, I filled in the foreground colors as the sun highlighted them.

Finally, I worked on the background where ground fog obscured most of the colors, but some contrast was emerging.

This sketch isn't perfect, but it gives a sense of the subdued landscape as a cold front moves in.

This morning, I learned a lot about brushstrokes. (I plan to re-read Emile Gruppe's book on the subject.) I also realized how much I rely on dramatic contrast in most of my work. These softer, muted colors were a challenge.

All in all, I'm pleased with this sketch. It's 9" x 12" on canvas board, and I painted it in about an hour. I'll be tweaking one cloud area, and I may also work on the lighting effects in the ground fog. But, these changes will take less than two or three minutes; they're minor.

MEMBERS COMMENTS VIEWING 1 - 2 OUT OF 2 COMMENTS From: DavidMcCamant 02/17/2008 00:19:42 HI Eileen, Gruppe’s book on brushwork is a wonderful reference. There are so many great books and DVD’s now for we who wander a field. I also keep returning to John Carlson’s guide to landscape painting for insights. For sheer inspiration I love the work of Trevor Chamberlain and David Curtis, both British plein air artists. David Curtis has a few DVD’s. It is just mesmerizing to watch him work; what a talent. Keep up the good work. Warm Regards, David From: flstormz 02/12/2008 22:21:31 It's a very nice piece - you captured that early morning sun warming up the landscape