Life Around The Farm.....Days 124 - 129

 There is nothing like our flat Delta land. From the endless skies, to the geometric shapes of the fields seen from the top of our bluff, there is no other place like it. Day 124 was a grey day, but around four in the afternoon, the clouds separated just enough allow some crystal blue sky to peek through.

That combined with the bits of green showing between the dormant fields made for a fantastic color study.

 Day 125 was another grey and drizzly day and I knew my painting window would be small, so I hiked up to the top of our bluff to do a quick distance study. The sky was expressive, so I concentrated on keeping the ground simple with the masses of the trees and fields broken down into simple shapes of color.

Day 126 was bright and Sunday. Loved the way the light was hitting my garden shed and greenhouse. It also makes a great color study. Getting the oranges to stay bright in the light as well as in the shadow was quite a challenge.

Day 127 was a busy day with only a little painting time in the morning. I knew I would have to paint somewhere close to the house. I was getting frustrated with a lack of inspiration, when I noticed my rooster Louie with a couple of his hens and I knew exactly what I wanted to paint. They are clearly as happy about the return of spring as I am.

Day 128 was a late afternoon study of the cedar tree and the brighter green mass of the vines that have sprouted leaves over the past few days. Trying to keep masses simple is a constant struggle.

We have a pasture just up the road full of Charolais cows. I have been wanting to paint them for weeks, but I never seem to have the time at the same time that they decided to graze close to the road. Today it all worked out and I was able to do a few studies of them. I really want to do a larger version including the whole pasture. These will be great in helping get the true light and color of the these lovely ladies.

It's been a crazy busy week and finding time to paint has been a challenge. It would be easy to just say "I don't have time today", but you never get where you want to be by taking the easy way out.