Our Tuesday Zoom group had an autumnal still life this evening. I enjoyed painting the shapes and color.
I joined the Thursday Plein Air Painters yesterday morning at Mast Park near San Diego. I painted from a spot that emphasized the clear light and strong morning shadows.
A few days ago, I posted ‘Tai Chi at Sunset’. Yesterday, I made a second version. I am not sure which of the two I prefer. I wanted to say something about group exercise in the park at sunset, and the first post captures the peace of Tai Chi with its calmer colors. However, in today’s piece, the undulating movement of Tai Chi is mimicked in the figure’s shadows and sky in the second, and I like this effect too.
The Thursday painters met today at Lake Poway. The air was clear, the sun was bright, and the irrigated trees in the park contrasted nicely with the hills above the water. It was a good day to be out and about in San Diego.
Backlit people, especially ones doing Tai Chi at sunset, catch my eye!
Here is a quick plein air sketch that I didn’t know I liked until I looked through my sketchbook later. I did it quickly as a warmup and moved on. I like it because the two figures are expressive yet barely indicated.
Yesterday, I went to the tide pools at Cabrillo National Monument with the Thursday painters. I had a great time, but I was not satisfied with my plein air piece. Later, I painted this second piece at home, using the first painting and photos as references. I like this one more because it suggests the feeling of looking out at the wild sea at high tide.
Deliberate Sketching 