FROZEN EN PLEIN AIRE

Sitting on an ice cold rock to paint a picture has to be true dedication. My paints were plopped on the ground beside me along with a small water container. We were above 9000 ft. elevation, and it was October and COLD. Very cold. The mittens on my hands had a place for my thumb and a finger to poke out to hold the cold paint brush.

After completing this small, glazed painting in about 3 hours time, I went on to another one. The second painting, which I will post if I ever find it again, had a beautiful pattern of ice crystals formed in the wash of the sky. The wet paint actually froze before it dried. Nothing like a little help from nature to make painting more challenging. I loved the crystallized touch and turned that painting into an African scene with palm trees (the ice crystals) and a giraffe.

This all happened at a wildlife workshop in the early 90's, and our instructor had dared us to go out into the field that day and paint. Most people from the workshop went on a gambling excursion, but about five of us took the dare - and FROZE. We were out from early morning until almost dark... but we were in the Rockies, in a beautiful area to paint. It was glorious and so, so, so cold. I remember being miserably cold and totally happy, too. And I'll never forget it.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

"SOLITUDE" Gouache and Transparent Watercolor on Bristol Board 12 x 9"