There are days when driving around to find the perfect composition consumes as much time as the painting execution. Fairfield has hidden beauty as found in Apple Orchard Blossoms above. While exploring recently, I met the owner of an apple orchard. When he found out I was a plein air artist, he generously welcomed me to paint throughout his property as often as I desired. Over three days, I worked on this painting and found it quite a challenge as I had never painted apple blossoms before. This view would not have been available to me had it not been for the generosity of the orchard owner. During my second outing, workers were burning a pile of dead tree limbs in the field of my painting. So that day, I turned my attention to this 5 x 7, Edge of the Apple Orchard. One of the many joys of outdoor painting is never quite knowing what you will find and remaining open to a plan B as well as the generosity of strangers.
It's great when people allow us the privilege of working on their land. It happened to me recently, too. I was painting down in Southern Indiana and drove up a long driveway. About halfway up I found the perfect spot. I drove to the house to ask permission, but it was 7 am on a Saturday and the place looked dark, so I decided not to knock and wake anyone, and I'd just set up and paint. Maybe I'd be gone by the time they awoke, and they'd never know I was there. And if it turned out they had a problem, I'd deal with it then.
ReplyDeleteAfter the initial block-in, a red pickup drove up the lane and stopped beside me. We talked and he told me I could paint anywhere on his land. And that even the next road down the main road might have some interesting spots to paint. I thanked him and did two paintings that day on his property. It's nice when people can help each other out in such small ways.