Photo of Sarvis Creek, Steamboat Springs
Artists in Colorado paint outside. It's an unspoken rule. And nothing is more beautiful than Steamboat Springs in the fall, with the Aspens in full glory and the misty mountains in the background. I packed up my equipment and headed out. But first, I thought I'd take a workshop with Dave Santillanes, one of the best landscape painters working today.
My time with Dave in Steamboat was well spent. He showed us how he creates atmosphere with value and color, which was a huge revelation for an indoor painter like me. Then we went out into the field to watch him paint his "sketches" which he then brings into his studio to create larger, more finished pieces. It was a complete eye-opener for me.
I decided to keep my outdoor sketches monochrome, working only with value to create atmosphere. To a newbie like me, adding color this early in the game could result in disaster.
Monochrome Study, Sarvis Creek, oil on panel
It was a dry, windy day, and the cowboys were transporting horses on the road at my back. They apologized every time they passed by, but I was happy to see them. There's about a pound of sand and grit mixed into the paint on this one.
Color Study, Sarvis Creek, oil on panel
I took the study back to the studio and added color on top of it. Dave encouraged us to change color and composition however we want in order to tell a story. With this one, I emphasized the warm color in the background to suggest an early morning scene.
Well, it's a start. If I want to do plain air well, I will have to paint many many more.
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