Plein-air with a Friend in Dayton , Nev

This is a recent plein-air done along the river near Dayton, Nevada just a few days ago.  I and a good friend who also loves plein-air painting, Carole, went out one morning to see what we could capture.  It was a wonderful morning, warm, bright, and very interesting light.  We walked only a short distance and came to the bank of the West Carson River, with was flowing lazily along since it is now September.  We had a lot of good water this year, a first in many years and boy do we appreciate that!  All I saw was so interesting a beautiful, the shadows on the very big sandy dessert-y mountains were wonderful, and the huge cottonwood trees along the river were so big, cool, and had very interesting shapes.   I began my first painting just to get a feel of the place, and get my mind to settle and look!  That is so hard when you are in a new place, everything just yells at you for attention!   I finally in the late a. m., early afternoon, painted this one.   I was looking across the river to the opposite banks to these trees and the distant mt.  The colors were gentle but beautiful, with some shadow left.   I used a surface I made myself on watercolor paper.  And I did a sketch, then a value drawing right on my surface and used water soluble pencil, washed with water for the values.  Then watercolor, then pastel-----sounds like it was very laborious, but it was not and went rather fast.  I wanted to catch the color of the light of the day----   It was fun, and can't wait to go again.

Evening Plein - air work. . . catching those shadows and last light.

My recent plein-air, done last evening between 4:30 pm and 6 pm-----trying to catch those shadows as they come reaching down the mountainside every day, when the sun drops lower in the sky.   I was standing out in front of the ranch on Foothill road, with the cows, just watching and waiting.     The sun began to bounce off the roof of the neighbors old barn, and then off the farther trees to the north, and I had to look hard and fast as the light began to change fast before me.  It was fun, I have done this before but I think a little better this time.  I used 14 x 16  La Carte Sennilier pastel card, and washed in the shadows with Turps---When dry, I finished with pastel , trying to get the color of the light I was seeing.    I will try again on evening as it is a nice view, and fun to do.   
              I was told today of another artist website to check out, as he is a wonderful artist and his work  is just amazing.   so look for   http://www.markhaworth.com/   and enjoy his amazing work.