When I look at the collection above of the plein air paintings that I did on our recent trip to Colorado, I notice that I am reluctant to include people in the landscapes and to use vivid accent colors. Since it seems likely that we will continue to shelter in place in San Diego for some time, this month seems like a perfect opportunity to practice these two skills.

I took many photos when I was in Colorado, especially of family members at sunset. The one I based this sketch on showed my niece and her dog crossing a meadow with long shadows cast by juniper trees. Now that I look at my finished work, I see why I am afraid to put figures into my paintings! The dog looks like an oversized cat and my niece has odd arms. And I wish I had placed the dog a few inches closer to the bottom edge. But this is a start and I feel good to be figuring this out.