When I go outdoors to paint, it is as much about exploration of place, understanding something at a deeper level, teh exchange that happend between myself and a place when I stand there for an hour, two hours....listening, and soaking it in. I decided to head out to Mendocino National Forrest for a painting trip. I filled my trunk and headed out for the mountains.
There's something beautiful about a trunk stocked with canvases and an easel, ready to to go out and explore new places.
It was a rainy day, not a day ideal for easy painting, but I find days with weather to be some of the best days to experience the emotion of a place.
Sometimes when you are heading out on a trip to paint, and you come across a small diner...you have to stop
I was given coffee in this nice blue mug
After breakfast I took winding backroads up into Mendocino National Forest. I pulled off in the hills it had started to rain, but I decided to try and get a painting done regardless.
It is tricky to paint in the rain. The water spreads a film across the canvas that the oil paint will not mix with, at times the paint will not even adhere to the canvas, the key is to put very thick paint on the canvas, and not to stroke over the same place twice. It forces you to be quick and efficient with your strokes.
After my first painting it stopped raining, so drove further into the national forest, and set up for a second painting
The golden yellow grass rolled down the hills providing a contrast to the blue green mountains in the distance.
I manages to get the second painting done just before the rain came rolling back in. I packed up, and headed deeper into the National Forest with the hope of getting one more painting done before nightfall
I made my way to Lake Pillsbury....which had no water. The clouds rested heavy across the dry lake
...and a herd of elk grazed out in the "lake".
Heavy rains came pouring down as the day turned to nigh, but I got one more painting done.
I got back in the car, and smartly I had a dry shirt to change into for the drive home.
The roads in the national forest are mostly all dirt, and can be difficult to pass through, with the heavy rain I was hoping there would no excessive mud or flooding on the mountain roads. But I mad it out with no trouble.
Back home: Painting #1
Painting #2
Painting #3