"Reaching Out"

"Reaching Out" 9"x12" Alla Prima Plein Air Oil on Gessobord Panel available at:  https://maryhoffmanfineart.com/workszoom/3306533#/

This particular day I was joined by Artists Elizabeth Middour http://www.elizabethmiddour.com/   and Janie Ball http://janieballpaints.com/
This painting day was P E R F E C T.  The air was cool and dry but the sun kept you warm and cozy.  There were no bugs biting.  Egrets and Herons and Ibis were showing off.  I wish I could have bottled this day.

"Reaching Out" was so fun to paint.  Anyone who paints with me knows how I am constantly drawn to large oak trees and their complicated, beautiful organic shapes.  I had to stop at this point in my painting as I found myself "chasing the sun."  Chasing the sun is a term plein air artists use to describe when their initial inspiration has changed a bit due to the moving sun.  The sun affects the shadow shapes and light patterns.  When I started this, the entire trunk of the tree was silhouetted against the bright creek bed behind it.  By the time I decided to put this aside, the sun illuminated the middle of the oak (which I actually prefer).  "Happy Accidents."

This painting is available here:  https://maryhoffmanfineart.com/workszoom/3306533#/