As indicated in my notes for last month, the good weather of summer entices me to paint outside. I love doing this anytime I am able. Plein air work involves considerable time pressure since the light is changing rapidly and the usual working window is only a few hours long. Most of the time I find this to be an advantage. The time pressure makes me more decisive. Of course, it can lead to some poor choices sometimes but these can usually be corrected later. This month’s painting depicts Mother of God church in downtown Covington, KY and shows how it is surrounded by older urban buildings. It was a hot afternoon with no shade available at the vantage point providing the view. A few hours were all I could stand working in the sun. After review back in my studio, I was satisfied with the composition but some of the value relationships were not right. I had to repaint almost the entire surface to correct the values and get the color impact that the scene inspired. The process was a reminder that good paintings rarely come easily.
This painting is available framed for $400.
