Two Versions

The top painting was done en plain air. I liked the vast expanse of sky which gave the scene a bright and austere look. On viewing it over time and wondered if I should have added more clouds, so instead, I did another version in the studio. In the studio version I added a few more poles for the sake of the composition because as always, the composition takes precedence over what is in front of you.

If I did not say so, I'm not sure if you could tell which painting was created indoors or in the open air. 

 

Sea Air, 2023, oil on panel, 22.75 x 32 cm

Blue Depths, Summer, 2023, oil on linen, 28 x 36 cm

 

Trees by the Lake

Trees by the Lake, 2023, oil on canvas, 61.5 x 61.5 cm

This another en plain air picture, painted from the outskirts of Ballarat. Winter can be a cold and bleak time of year but it can also offer us some beautiful and subtle colours. When I saw this from the car I was immediately struck by the deep green grass contrasted against the grey and brown hues of the background. As is always the case, the scene wasn't quite like the image I painted. I added the puddle in the foreground, shifted some trees around and played with the proportions of what I saw.