Close To Home

by Marian Fortunati on 12/3/2009 8:14:50 PM5 Comments

"Caballero Colors"

14x11 - Oil on Board   SOLD

Email me, please, if you're interested in purchasing this painting.

I always love to go outside to paint. It renews me... it's great to get outdoors and see the beauty... right now the fall colors are amazing ... but it's also a good excuse to hike around a bit, so I feel like I'm helping my physical health as well as my emotional health.

All of my painting buddies were otherwise occupied so I had decided to paint alone again. When I was at the reception on Sunday I had overheard someone talking about hiking in the canyon. It reminded me that I really don't need to go far to find a beautiful place to paint.   I've painted in Caballero Canyon many times. It is really VERY close to my home.

This time when I walked down in the canyon all I could do was smile... The trees were ablaze with color. It was hard to decide just WHERE to stop and paint. This time, however, the grasses were quite high. Since this canyon is also a place where mountain bikers come tearing around corners unexpectedly I had to stay far off the path, but I didn't want to be in the middle of high grasses... not just because of the difficulty of seeing through the grass, but because I didn't want to engage with the native population of bugs, snakes, birds, and other creatures.   I found this spot after hiking down into the dry creek bed and up the creek a bit.   It was gorgeous.

I had decided to try painting a bit larger than I have been doing. I've admired those painters who paint large plein air pieces. Mine was still only 14x11 but it was a bit bigger than my normal 8x10s. One has to start somewhere. When I started off, I realized a couple of problems. I had failed to replenish my container of liquin.. and I was using a board covered with gesso tinted a light green. The board and lack of liquin caused me some issues with the paint spreading or rather NOT spreading, -- the gesso seemed to suck the paint up ... too much drag... but it also resulted in some interesting "dry brush" techniques.   In the end I liked my painting.   At home I used liquin to restate the sky and some of the sycamore leaves.... No plein air police stopped me so.. I'm okay.

I must return before all of the leaves fall..   The seasons are rather short here in SoCal. Does anyone want to join me???

5 Responses to Close To Home

	Dad via marianfortunati.com	7 months ago
	It is a lovely, bright, airy painting. The sycamores, sky and background are beautiful. The foreground a bit less perfect. Perhaps the lighting made it so, but the path and stream bed are a bit nebulous. Love, Dad

	Ruth Housley via marianfortunati.com	7 months ago
	Hi Marian, I like the blaze of yellow color in the tree that you painted. Sorry you had no one to go with you to have a paint out but I am glad you had a nice time yourself. With love, Ruth

	Sharon Weaver via marianfortunati.com	7 months ago
	Love your colors in this one. I don't think I will be able to paint next week since my cousin is coming for a week long visit form PA but keep me posted after that. Looks like a place I would like to paint.

	Bev Brown via marianfortunati.com	7 months ago
	I always look forward to your blog wondering what is Marian Fortunati going to surprise me with today? A new subject? An experiment in technique? A lovely setting for a new landscape? Notes from a workshop? More of your intrepid art journey thoughts? I would love to join you in a painting adventure - too bad I live so far south of you...

	Marian Fortunati via marianfortunati.com	7 months ago
	Happy Weekend to all of you!! Looks like none of us who like to paint outdoors will be doing so next week. We do need the rain, however so that's all good. Bev... I have a daughter in San Diego... There are so many beautiful places around town to paint I sometimes wish I could stay down there and just paint.... But then there are beautiful places everywhere aren't there??

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