In the Chase on the Outer 'Banks

11/19 between 4:30 and 5:00 P.M.

    I haven't posted in some days because I was busy getting things done before my husband, three dogs and I left for a week on the Outer Banks of NC.  I love it here!  I packed all my plein air gear and plan to paint as often as weather permits.  These first two days I have spent the time relaxing and waiting for evening so I could start the series of small, quick sunset paintings I decided I would do this trip.  I want to do all of them in under an hour. 
      The little 6x8 painting you see on the easel was done last evening but I had forgotten to take photos and so I propped it on the easel for a picture before starting todays painting.  Yesterday I also forgot to use the umbrella.  I thought I would go blind looking into the sun.  No matter how hard I would sqint as soon as I looked back at the canvas all I saw was black and white.  I had to wait for my eyes to readjust.  Yes, I could have gotten the brollie but it would have taken valuable time.  The sun goes down fast!
     Todays sky was less dramatic than yesterday but the colors were very much the same.  I will upload the new painting tomorrow because every time I try to add an additional photo I get bounced off the blog.  I am using the laptop and things don't seem to work the same. 
     Painting like this is fast work for me and out of my comfort zone.  That is why I am doing it.  I have promised myself not to continue work on the paintings after the initial session and that is hard because I always want to improve  them.  I am using this as an exercise to see how much I can improve over the week if at all.  I just wish I had more of these 6x8's but I only had two left.  I brought down 8x10's and 9x12's because I didn't have time to shop and that is too bad because the smaller ones are best for this. It would have been great to have a week's worth of sunset paintings all the same size and then choose the four best to frame the same and hang as a group.  I need to slow up and plan better!

Reminder: ON EXHIBIT at the Art League Gallery, "Berry Strawberry" and "The Knitter" are in the small works show and "Festival Tents" is in the Bin Gallery http://www.theartleague.com/