Spring in Nashville

Rattlesnakes and Terra Rose

September, 2010, artist and friend Pete Quaid and I set out for Cap Rock State Park up in the panhandle of Texas. I had never been there and was pleasantly surprised by the incredible beauty of the place. Pete had warned me to make sure I had a tube of Terra Rosa...he was right. Red sandstone with more red sandstone topped off by red sandstone. Did I mention the landscape was basically red?

The red was complimented by green juniper trees, grasses and yucca plants. Beautiful country. And, as an added bonus, the first two days we saw a rattlesnake a day. That's what really made the trip worth while. Forget painting, let's do some rattlesnake hunting :-)

Below are some of the photos from the trip.

16 x 12 Oil on Panel

"After the Storm"
6 x 8 Oil on canvas

Hats off to you!
One of two diamond backs we came across.

This is one of the views from the back side of the canyon

Cap Rock Two
Oil on Panel - 16 x 12

RattleSnake2
Another one of our "friends"

Pete Quaid Painting
Pete Quaid

Deer
One of several deer we crossed paths with

Painting
First afternoon

One of the excellent reasons to paint at Cap Rock State Park

Pete Quaid

CapRock One
12 x 9 Oil on panel

S. Miller
S.Miller

Caprock 3
8 x 16 Oil on canvas

To contact Steve: steve@journeyinoils.com

• Plein Air Ramblings...
• Paint Out in Waxahachie, Texas - 08
• Paint Out in Waxahachie, Texas - 06-07

The French expression en plein air means "in the open air" and is most used to describe the act of painting outside in the environment. It is by far the most enjoyable painting experience. Most who try it once are hooked.

Part of the appeal for painting "en plein air" is the natural light. While painting from photos gives the artist more unrushed time, photos do not capture all the subtle colors and depth that can be observed in nature.

Usually, plein air paintings are done quickly, within a couple of hours and are painted on smaller panels or canvas, rarely no larger than a 12" x 16". The primary reason for the short time and small painting surface is the ever-changing light. Light and shadows will change dramatically in a 2 hours span of time.

You can learn more by clicking here!