Summer Plein Air: 4/6

The fourth day of plein air painting took place at the beautiful Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa on Morningside Lane.

Google image of Morningside Lane around the Central Experimental Farm

I started, as I always do, by creating some quick and loose sketches of potential compositions.

I was immediately drawn to the image of the red barn with its silo right next to Morningside Lane. I loved the red and green together and the "mower lines" in the grass that would form the foreground and two-thirds of my panting's composition.

I had to edit a lot of details out from my view: the fenced in storage area in front of the barn and the tree on the left that blocked my ability to see the full silo ( I later had to capture the silo details from another angle where David Jones had set up his easel. See below)

My "Red Barn" painting in progress

David Jones' easel offering an unobstructed view of the silo

For my afternoon painting, I decided to let the cloudy sky dominate half of my composition with the quilt like patches of corn fields and canola fields forming the other half in the foreground.

My quick and loose sketch and setting up my easel to start

I wrapped up the painting session earlier than scheduled because in the distance I could see cows grazing in one of the fields and I really wanted to stop and do some quick sketches and photograph them. I love ALL farm animals, but, I have special affection for cows and horses. I could sit and sketch them all day.

Maybe next time.

I love cows!
Some quick sketches

Experimental Farm Cows