If the shoe fits

This painting is about preparation. I believe the most important preparation is spiritual. We must all choose to spiritually prepare or not. If cowboys decide not to prepare the horse's feet, the horse could be injured. If we refuse to spiritually prepare how God shows us in the Bible, we can be injured in this life and in the one to come.

Plein Air Painting: Red ledges sunrise

Painting a sunrise from life while it is happening is extremely challenging! The light keeps moving, the clouds keep shifting, and the paint brush has to keep flying! The typical time that I can plein air paint in one place before the light has changed too much to continue is about two hours, but for a sunrise, it is about forty-five minutes. 

“The art of painting, properly speaking, cannot be taught, and therefore cannot be learned. Only certain means can be discussed. I believe about art, as I believe about music or archetecture, that the only way to study is to practice; and that any good teacher can point out certain intellectual or technical “makings,” certain helps that will give a fulcrum to the lever of practice.” — John F. Carlson, pg. 9 of Carlson’s Guide to Landscape Painting

Continually Learning

An artist must always be learning and studying, seeking to perfect his craft. An artist must constantly study nature, painting from life as often as possible. Painting from life in the outdoors, plein air painting, is a wonderful way for an artist to hone his craft. Plein air painting is fun, enjoyable, challenging, and sometimes daunting, but it is most definitely very rewarding. Painting from life, I notice so much more accurate color and temperature changes than just from photos. Our eyes can see a much wider color spectrum than cameras can.