En Plein Air @ Old Westbury Gardens

I am truly grateful anytime I can get out into nature and paint. The days are lovely, the energy is abundant and being able to walk the grounds, helps me connect to the feeling and energy of my subject.

On this particular day, I was joining some plein air friends on the grounds at Old Westbury Garden. The day and event were just lovely. It was a bit of a warm day, so finding shade is essential for comfort and wellbeing. Luckily there were plenty of majestic trees to sit beneath, a tiny breeze off the water's edge, and the friendliest gaggle of geese to hang with.

Below are 3 photos of my process. First up is a rough graphite sketch of my composition, just to lay in the key areas of the painting. Second photo shows my first watercolor glaze. This adds the lights and color values throughout the composition. Next I add 2 or 3  more glazes to get in the mid tones and darks.
​
Plein Air Motto: Keep it loose, keep it simple and keep it up!
I will be leading a Plein Air workshop at Down's Farm Preserve in August. See homepage for details.

Please feel free to post questions or comments below.