Just Passing Through
Plein air painting with a car is really the way to go.If you’ve got one that is.
6×8″oil on linen panel
Since I’m used to cityscaping and getting around by bike or public transportation in Rome, having a car was overwhelming. I could go anywhere in a second and be even more selective about what to paint.Instead of getting crazy and driving everywhere, I just stopped where I was driving and got out to paint this.This day I was on the way to see old friends that I studied with in Florence and who now run the very successful Golden Gate Atelier in Oakland, California. I was excited for our visit and left early to have the chance to paint before we met for lunch.I loved this fleeting moment with that soft light and the street partly in shadow looking out into the valley that is what I imagine downtown Oakland. In my mind this was a California morning in every way including the architecture and even the colors of the soft pinks and blues.I think having my painting gear at all times and being open to the idea of stopping to paint at any moment is key in capturing memorable moments. Of course not every painting will be a success and certainly not a masterpiece, but I will remember the feel and smell and look of this first morning in Oakland for a long long time. This is the value, joy and pricelessness of plein air painting.
See other recent paintings from California and the U.S. hereFind out about upcoming 2014 Sketching and Painting Workshops in Italy here