ArtistsNetwork.com 31is surrounded by farmland and forest.
It’s a stunning location, beautiful in
the summer, raw and tough in the
winter, and fascinating in between.
It constantly changes, so I need to
adjust colors and tones from day to
day. Shadows move and skies and
colors change according to the light,
the time of day and the weather.
Th is variability is why I always
create a small sketch before painting
en plein air—to capture the original
inspiration. Even when I have the
time and supplies to paint for hours,
I start with a little pencil drawing,
even if it’s just a two- or three-minute
sketch. Th is sketch enables me to
work out the composition, establish
lights and darks and, most impor-
tantly, identify the direction of the
light. It’s critically important at this
point to determine the location of the
point of interest, because two or three
So often, subjects appear
when least expected.
I had arrived in the rain,
on a motorcycle, at my
hotel for the night in
Loches, in the Loire
region of France, and
headed to a restaurant
in search of a beer and
something to eat. Loches
in the Rain (at left;
watercolor on paper,
10x10) was the view
through the window
of the dining room, and
with the fading light,
it turned into a murky,
misty panorama. I used
crayon and pencil for
the preliminary sketch
(below), as it was simply
too wet for attempting
anything else. I loved the
almost monochrome col-
ors, and the way the light
and weather simplifi ed
the details of the houses
with the church tower
dominating the scene.
The following morning
was bright and sunny,
and the view looked
completely different with
none of the atmosphere
created by the previous
evening’s weather.