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I've been back into my painting for almost ten years and I've been doing a lot of reflecting and looking back at older works of my art.  In September 2021, I did a 30 day Strada painting challenge where I painted from life every day.  I was kind of shocked to see that I had painted almost 20 of those days en plein air at a pond behind my house lovingly named Willow Pond.  It's been a source of beauty, peace and inspiration for many many years.  For the Strada challenges, I usually painted more indoors from still life setups. So to be reminded that I made it outside to paint for 20 almost straight days was pretty amazing.  Below you can see those plein air studies, all of Willow Pond. 

Some were painted in sketchbooks, but mostly on panels with oil. 

Willow Pond, at that time, was lush and surrounded with trees that provided the most beautiful scenes of tree reflections.  It looks a lot different now due to some menacing beaver and I'll share more on that in another post.  

I am very proud of all these little studies and learned so much about trees, reflections and water.  I'm so glad that I keep my plein air studies.  They're always a source of inspiration and learning. 

It was hard to select  but I chose my top  paintings from that month long challenge.  Below is a water reflection scene that had glowing sunlight and the trees seemed to just bubble and boil out of the water.  You couldn't tell which was more real...the reflection or the actual trees.  I did make some alternations to this back in the studio and was happy that I did.  

This little gem below is so special to me. I really came into my Tonalist love combined with Impressionism and this study just came together so easily.  Big shapes, subtle value and edge changes, details in the water and foreground grasses that I love to paint.  

This study was of the bushy Willows and had a fantastic, tonal underpainting that I left some showing through.  By leaving pure color, it makes a reflection shine against water that looks white(ish).  Some scratchy marks with my palette knife and trusty wood skewer finished it off.  

This study of the Willows was from a marshy area at the back of the pond and was a complete study of color and shapes.  A much more Impressionistic approach with more visible brushstrokes and more saturated color used than normal. This one was totally immersive and I can still remember painting it.  

Once I began looking back at all of my Willow Pond studies and social media posts, I decided that Willow Pond would be a great subject for my next series.  I'm almost finished up with my Creekside series so this inspiration hit at just the right time. I'll be sharing more soon on how Willow Pond looked now and then, my plans moving forward and artists that are inspiring me with this new series. So stay tuned and thank you for visiting my blog.  

It happened on July 18, 2023...about 6 months after my mom died.  The grief of losing her had hit me so hard that I thought I would surely never paint again.  But time has a way of gently healing and I found myself out in a family meadow, gazing at a scene I drive by all the time when going on country rides in my buggy (my Gator).  I dearly love a scene that has dark shadows of a tree row with the tree trucks illuminated.  It's always the tree trunks in shadow that get me. 

 I have a video of this scene on this day so I know the breeze was blowing and the birds were singing and it was about 8:30 in the morning. The notes on my sketch (shown below) tell me it was 75 degrees and overcast, probably an unusually cool morning for the middle of July in Kansas. I scribbled "Bob White quail" so I know one was calling out, which I adore.  I made a special color note on my sketch of the yellow wildflower that I knew I wanted to include.  

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Then I started my painting on a 5" x 7" wood panel.  I remember that this one just felt right.  I loved the scene, I loved my sketch and my brushes were just dancing as I did my underpainting.  

I remember thinking to just keep things loose and that the best I would get would be some good color notes.  

But as I continued to work, the painting was coming to life.  The darks and the lights were playing against each other very well.  My brushstrokes were bold but subtle marks that went from warm to cool greens.  I was able to pull up some paint that let the tree trunks come to life.  I left the edges untouched so that the process of this painting could be seen.  

And with some final marks for the branches, I had said all I wanted to say.  The painting was loose and sketchy but contained all the information it needed to read well.  

Then I signed it by scratching my "MWooderson" with my trusty skewer.  

I remember that this one felt good.  I didnt' stress and think "oh this is terrible".  I didn't have back paint from tensing up while painting.  I actually loved it which is rare for a plein air piece.  

That little, yellow wildflower. I even included it in the painting as a last minute touch.  

I used my worn chip brush to add in the tall, dried grasses and they lit up again the dark shadows of the tree line.  Wispy branches that I thought might be hokey really finished the scene.  There are a 4-5 distinct green, square brush marks placed on the dark shadow (far left) that are enough to say "foliage". A few blended brushstrokes above the trees soften the sky line.  

And just like that I had painted what would become my favorite plein air piece to this day.  I carry this thing around like a security blanket, I tell ya.  All felt right in my parting world that July day.  Maybe it was just time to get back to painting...or maybe Mama gave me a gift of a good one...or maybe both.  

I hope I always remember this day, painting out in the green, grassy meadow.  

And I hope I have many more painting days like this....and that by sharing my stories, they'll live on for maybe my girls or my grandkids...and they'll maybe take my little painting some day and go sit in the same spot I did while painting this.  Wouldn't that be wonderful?

Well here I go, back into the world of blogging.  I will be using my blog as a journal to keep my thoughts on painting in one place.  It's been 9 years since I got back into my art and I've done a lot of looking back...and looking forward.  You'll see posts here on my current thoughts and I also want to have a place to house some of my past work and projects.  So you'll see current projects and also past projects...a great way to see how far I've come and for you to maybe catch up on some of my past work.   I haven't veered too far off from my original way of painting so I feel the posts will still feel relevant.  

Today I want to put my thoughts down about how I gather information when painting outdoors.  You'll notice my images toggle back and forth between painting on a panel and painting in a sketchbook.  Below is probably my favorite plein air session ever in all my years of painting outside.  The initial sketch came together using pencil and markers, with some written notes.  The 5 x7 oil sketch came together so easily by using dry brush marks with layers built up very loosely.  From my very first time painting landscapes, I've done a a sketch along with the painting.I

Eventually, I began using homemade Kraft sketchbooks which lent to quicker painting sessions with lots of written notes and color notes. With this method of gathering information, I can paint by holding the sketchbook and using a tiny handmade travel palette with limited colors, brushes, etc.  

I haven't chosen a favorite way of gathering information but I do think about how I can get out more often to paint and what I can do to make the most of that time.  I equally love painting in the sketchbooks and on a panel.  When painting on a panel, I do feel like I set higher expectations of completing a good, finished painting...and that's not my intent now.  I find myself disappointed sometimes if I don't go home with a good painting, whereas in the sketchbooks I don't feel that way,  

Either way now, I find that I am just looking to gathering  information and not come home with a perfect painting.  I want to think like the first Impressionists and just gather those first impressions of how the scene looks and how it makes me feel.  Break it down to the most basic tasks of capturing the composition, color, light, form , values, etc.  

Most times now, I take lots of photos of the initial scene so I can use those photos back in the studio. I never want to copy a photo and I feel I have enough brush miles under my belt now to interpret the scene in more my style. So with a simpler oil sketch and pencil/marker sketch, I get just enough to capture an impression and mood.  

There is something though about painting outside that strengthens your skills even when you paint in the studio.  I feel that if I want to be a representational painter, I need to paint from life to keep those skills sharp. There's nothing that compares to painting from life to capture color, values, composition, mood, etc.  In the image below, there is no way I'd get those wonderful violets and yellows on the tree and snow if I didn't make this quick study outdoors.  

Taking time to gather my supples and going out to sit in nature has so many added benefits.  I'm getting fresh air, unplugging, and I'm using all my senses to hear the birds and water...see the color nuisances...smell the cedars or sweet earth...feel the sun on my shoulders....and to use get the mood of the day.  

I'm there to absorb the entire experience.  Whatever way I choose to gather the information, I always want to remember that feeling of nature and the great outdoors.  I recently found a page from my journals, that documents how I like to do my studies and collect information.  I'll share that soon! I'd love to hear your thoughts on how you like to gather information while painting outside.