Southeastern Paint Out 2010, Day Five

Backwater Reflections

10x10,Oil/Linen Panel

SOLD
Coosa Sunrise II

8x16, Oil/Linen Panel

Sunrise Serenade

Chuck & Katrina Weber

Day Five of the Plein Air Festival set the new standard for My Ultimate Plein Air Experience... I met Gadsden Artist, Gina Brown, at the Coosa River at 5:30 AM to catch the sunrise... you can see her painting here. Hunstville Artist, Katrina Weber and her Husband, Chuck, pulled up shortly thereafter. As the three of us started painting, Chuck started playing his fiddle, serenading the morning as the sun was rising. He and Katrina are both musicians specializing in a beautiful style of music played for Contradances... You can listen to samples of their music here.

In 'Coosa Sunrise II', I quickly put in the important notes of color to hold onto the drama of the initial appearance of the sun as it rose into the quiet surroundings of the dawn. I was then able to block in the forms of the silhouetted trees and their reflections with just enough information to keep me from straying as things were quickly changing. I finished the painting with the accents of light hitting the undersides of the clouds.

For my second painting, 'Backwater Reflections', I met Gina at Jim Martin Bird Sanctuary on the backwaters of the Coosa River. For this painting, I once again just focused on finding the forms of the trees and the backlit vegetation as they reflected into the type of water that seems perfect for Catfish.We both worked quickly in order to be at the picnic provided by the local art association and then turned our final paintings in for the opening that evening... our work was done.