Plan B
Page Helmick
So as a Plein Air artist, it had to eventually happen...it happened today.
I went to one of my favorite locations to paint a water and sky painting and I added a few sailboats to give the painting a little ‘life’. As I was setting up in a nice shady spot, I came to realize that I had forgotten to pack my brushes!
Well, I was almost a half mile from my car and then back to the house; the round trip would have been 45 minutes at least. My other option was to do a pallet knife painting, so that’s what I opted for.
My goals today were several. I wanted to set the horizon at a really low place on the canvas. I usually set it one third of the way up or down, but today’s horizon is set at 20% or possibly a little less. It adds to the drama to the piece, especially in a square format.
Secondly I wanted to try using Thalo Green mixed with Kings Blue for the water. I’ve never used Thalo Green before and it gave me some beautiful summer water.
Lastly, the three sailboats add not only scale to the scene, but also add movement, motion and a sense of life, that otherwise does not exist in the piece. They are small but important to the overall composition. And the whole painting was done with two pallet knives. I’ll pack more closely the next time out!
I hope you enjoy it.
Rick
