Close Ups

Painting plein air can be daunting.  Everywhere you look, you see details.  The temptation is to include everything.

So sometimes I just zoom in on one object.  That one thing can say so much about the location without including all the surrounding details.  This old lantern was on a dock at the end of the harbor.  There were buildings, boats, a footbridge, and rocks, not to mention the old restaurant where the lantern hung.  But I liked the antique quality of the light fixture so I eliminated everything else.

Drawing is critical when you choose an outdoor still life.  Take care with the drawing, and the painting will be easier.

I chose a limited palette, not only because it was an aging rusty lantern, but also because it suited the mood of the subject matter.