The story behind this painting…
Received $400 and was awarded 3rd place from the Glendale City Council.
The painting will remain in their archives.
PROCESS
This competition entailed arriving on the day of, with your blank canvas to paint in the time frame of 8am-3pm that day. It was required to get the back of your canvas stamped so that the judges can witness a blank canvas. It was specifically a Plein Air event, so it was also required that you paint what you see anywhere outside.
PAINTING SPOT
I walked around a lot at the Sahuaro Ranch Park, which was the canvas stamp station, and judging location. This tractor was just to the left of the canvas stamp station. I felt kinda silly that I didn’t walk far, but the tractor was telling me to paint it with its strong shadows and purple hue. I let go of my own stipulations and set up my canvas right in front of it. I really loved the red and green window as well and was happy it would appear in the painting.
PREPARATION
There is a lot to preparing for painting out in the field. You have to consider all equipment which you carry all in hand or on your back. It all includes an easel, tripod, canvas, paints, paint brushes, brush cleaner, pallet, rags, and one of the most important things—a painting carrier. Yes, that’s right! Once you’re done with your painting, you have to be VERY careful and NOT drop it, NOT smudge it—because it’s oil paint! And you took so much time to paint it and lug all your equipment just for this moment of completing a painting. Talk about anxiety, or I mean FUN! Isn’t challenging yourself the exciting part of life? How far do you want to take things? What do you want to experience?
GRATITUDE
I can’t express my appreciation enough for this event and what it did for me as an artist. During the judging I had 3 people come up to me interested in purchasing this painting. I look back and I really can’t believe all that was going on within just 1 hour. When they called my name my body was just filled with electricity and I was really shocked that I won something! There were so many incredible paintings. The one I loved the most didn’t even place… I am just very grateful for the experience and the positive reactions people gave me about the work. Wasn’t all that preparation worth it? YES!
BEFORE
To get here I had to prepare my paint equipment MANY TIMES and go out and practice Plein Air (painting outside on-site). When I am practicing Plein Air—it is very difficult, it is not easy for me to chase the light as the day develops. When you paint in real-time (not from a photo) the colors always change! But why not add a challenge to something that you love?
See my painting process in my post on INSTAGRAM.
View more of my landscape paintings HERE. Many are for sale and can be shipped through out the USA.
