Humbled

This last week a friend of mine and I had the chance to try Plein Air painting for the first time. Up until this point, the closest I had ever painted in the great outdoors was in my backyard, and even that session was to work on a project I had started in the comfort of my indoors and without a time limit.

Should I have known better and practiced ahead of time under conditions different than I was otherwise used to? Probably.

But did I? No.

So for about 2 hours I attempted to sketch out a clocktower in the same way I typically start my portrait sketches, only to panic, erase half of it, and try again. Then in the last 15 minutes I threw on some color. It was about that time I realized that I was out of time, so instead of giving this beautiful clocktower, the numbers, and hands it deserved, I painted it solid and called it a day.

Despite how quickly watercolor tends to dry, my painting was definitely not dry. So it air dried, as it flapped in the wind behind me, as we ran towards the final checkin booth.

Alas…my painting did not win any prizes that day… not even for the beginner section. But if ever there was a prize for Plein Air painter who has no idea what they are doing… I have triumphed!

I hope you laughed as much as I did at the whole situation.

Love,
Julie

P.S. I entitled the piece “No Time”