Plein- air painting is not always easy!

Today I am going to post what I have been doing for the last weekend, along with  a couple of friends who also love plein-air.     One of the ladies I know is a well-known, wonderful plein-air artist.  She recently told me about the Tahoe Group that likes to have plein-air Sundays, then a small critique  with an artist who teaches at the college up there. That is David Russo, a very nice gentleman who is very encouraging. So I phoned my friend Carole, from Dayton Nevada and we met the group down in the Carson Valley. Trouble is, we were a day early!!  No matter, her and I went ahead and painted, and Carole did a very nice painting this first day- - - -I rather struggled, trying to get all I could it seems onto the paper!!   The next day, the correct day, we were again there to paint with these PA folks, and Thaleia  Georgiades also was there.  She is a pastel artist from California, belongs to the Sierra pastel society and is also the lady who has brought very famous artists to our area for workshops in the past.  A real pleasure to paint with her!  Again, I didn't do so well, but want to show you the work my friend Carole did:

This one just seemed to glow in the shadows!


                                                                                                                                                                   
And this next one is the one Thaleia just whipped out in moments.  We were in the valley , but rimmed by the Carson range of the Sierra Nevadas', which are really high.

 I was so amazed by how she drew this , making the mountains appear very large, as they are, and to show scale, the trees below so much smaller.  A great lesson to be sure.   The critique session was fun, and I went home with a lot on my mind.  Did some more reading , looking and studying.  I read Carlson's and Paynes' books a lot- - - -and also now the new Plein-air mag, which is wonderful.   This morning, I ran out from my home and from 8:30 to 10 am, I painted this one. I believe I am very slow in learning all I want to learn!  But , its a great thing to be doing.  We are all so different in our response's to nature and our world.  Each day I will be painting something, or at least doing the Thumbnails in my sketch book.