Just the Facts - January 14 - 30 Paintings in 30 Days

Just the Facts 8x10" acrylic on panel

Last evening, I noticed the light on the buildings by the Baraboo River. The buildings were built by the Ringling Brothers for their Circus. I knew that I wanted to paint there.

Today, there was sun for most of the day, but when I got my things set up, the clouds rolled in. I painted for a couple of hours under overcast skys, hoping for the sun to come back over the river and buildings.
Then at 4, the sun came out! It was the effect that I was looking for, the one that I remembered from last evening. I changed canvases, and painted this little one in a few minutes, and then the sun left again.
Painting outdoors is like that. When the light changes, there is a choice to make. Sometimes, it's possible to change the canvas that you have going, but sometimes it's better to start a fresh one. The rule is to not chase the light, unless it would strengthen the painting. This painting is just the abstract shapes and colors of the scene. I'm not trying to celebrate this sketch by posting it, it's just a record of the moment that we had today and nothing more. Often, that's what we get when we go out. I can say that to me, it's special, because the feeling of chasing those 15 minutes felt way better than recording the facts of the overcast day. Painting fleeting light will always be my favorite thing to do.