10/10/22 plein air watercolor
4:32 PM: this afternoon felt like the perfect moment to carry out my plan to make the first in a series of october pleine air watercolors. so i collected my materials, got my stool & table & set off over the rough dirt road up towards the stupa, then right for a mile or so to the spot where we usually start our cottonwood creek walk, then down the little path to the creek. i had a few doubts about that spot, which i’ve been to manmy times in the past. but once i arrived and saw the light on the rocks, i knew it was the perfect spot.
there were some annoying little gnats, but not too bad. plus i’m more exposed to passers by than i would be at more secluded locations, but it worked out fine. one woman, who was on her way up top the stupa and who you see in the photo below, asked “are you going to paint the fall colors?” i responded in a monotine, “yes.” and she left me alone.
something i realized as i painted this watercolor was that the path i took yesterday with doobie doobie was forced and overworked. i’m turning it towards the wall & i’ll decide what i want to do with it. i crave blank white portrait linen canvases that i can very sparsely paint. it’s more me.
