Orchard

Taking time off may be underrated. I had painted plein air only twice in the six weeks prior ro joining the Old Art Building Plein Air Painters at French Valley Vineyard, just north of Cedar, on a wonderfully crisp and sun-shiny mid-September morning—but for some reason felt particularly exhilarated. Maybe it was the unquestionable beauty of the place. Maybe it was once again being with ‘my tribe,’ the fellow painters whose camaraderie and support I have come to cherish. But for whatever reason, I, a notoriously slow and laborious painter, latched onto this view, made a quick value sketch with pencil and paper, and then quickly built the painting in well under an hour. The process felt so intuitive, which is rare for me, but a part of the process I wish I could develop, if only I knew how. What I sense is that I’m caught within the moment, and time stands still. It’s a feeling I've had a few other times, as well, and in those instances, the painting—both the experience and the end result—have left me with a satisfactory feeling. That’s how I feel about “Orchard.” And I’m okay with that feeling and only hope it, and the speed at which the painting was produced, happens more readily.