I’m in the high desert of Wyoming, painting the snow peaked mountains of the Continental Divide.A challenge I have with plein air painting is to work FAST and capture the light (which is ever changing) I wanted to try something I have always been intimidated to do…paint during a sunset. The colors of a landscape are most brilliant during a sunset, BUT everything changes REALLY fast. Within 5 minutes, the scene can be completely different….ok, lets do it!!!here is my sketch. I am interested in the mountains in the distance, contrasting with the desert landscape in the foregroundI have to work fast, this underpainting leaves a lot to be desired. When painting during a sunset, I can’t spend much time in details…i just mix and throw paint around, trying to capture the essence of the moment.My first layers of color are down on the panel…I have never painted this fast before…I’m trying to capture the rapidly changing light of sunsetHere is the finished painting!!! I’m proud of myself. Sunset has always been intimidating because the light changes so fast. I want to work from life – and not use cameras…it IS possible!!!If you think the mountains turning blue during the sunset was pretty, look at what was happening behind me while painting!!!I forgot to mention, this location is the first place where I saw wild antelope. The first one i saw, i thought to myself, “well, that’s a funny looking deer!”I forgot to mention, this location is the first place where I saw wild antelope. The first one i saw, i thought to myself, “well, that’s a funny looking deer!”I forgot to mention, this location is the first place where I saw wild antelope. The first one i saw, i thought to myself, “well, that’s a funny looking deer!”
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