Plein Air Watercolor of Historic Home in Waxahachie, Texas

Plein Air Watercolor of Historic Home in Waxahachie, Texas

Following the 90-minute Quick Draw event Saturday morning in Waxahachie, I found the 100-degree temperatures intolerable for painting.  So, after driving all over the town for an hour-and-a-half, I decided to return home (40 minutes away!), take a refresher nap, and return around 5:00 to greet longer shadows, not-much-cooler temperatures, but inviting scenes nevertheless.  I painted this home last year, looking at it from the other side.  I could not help noticing the shadows cast by the giant tree all over the sides of the house, so I thought I would give it a try.  I spent a little over 2 1/2 hours working on this piece, not feeling rushed, and thoroughly enjoying the solitude.  There were no painters around me this time, the clock was not a factor, and I simply enjoyed chipping away at the composition.

I have been exasperated, trying to match up green colors with the foliage I paint, and for the first time, I think I got pretty close tonight.  Tree bark colors have been another nemesis for me, and that is why I chose this perspective with its enormous, impossible-to-avoid tree.  I enjoyed working on the bark textures, studying the warm and cool neutral hues, and trying to get them onto the paper.  Out of three painting attempts I’ve made at this Waxahachie event, I am by far the most pleased with this one.

My plan is to arrive at the town early Sunday morning, and see if I am able to complete two paintings by noon, then leave before the temperatures reach 100 again, which they are expected to do.

Thanks for reading.  I’ll post tomorrow’s work as soon as I can.