#316 'Tracks Through the Snow 10x12"

I went back to the same area as the previous painting the following morning - you can see the church in the distance, I'm stood further away. I loved the tracks and countryside feel.

Enjoyed the colours of the bushes on the right side and the strong fence line. I try to see colours in darks, just because they are dark in tone doesn't mean they are dull! 
It was a brighter day but still no sunlight. The sky was grey blue and I brought some of that colour down onto the snow as it reflects like water. 

I had painted in the big tree in the distance but decided it was competing with the church for a focal point so took out. I worked hard on getting the elements placed well before I began the painting which usually mean lots of drawing in and wiping it off again, important to start the composition well!

#273 'Shadows on Snow' 8x10"

Second painting from the back garden this time quite different weather being a sunny and crisp morning with long purple shadows on the snow. 
The shadows went surprisingly quickly which meant there was no time for mixing. I used some of the paint on my palette from the previous days snow painting, just tweaked a bit. 
I also spent some time painting the sheep I put them in before the main light snow as I wanted to paint around them as it seams to connect and structure the painting better. I simplified the sheep to 3 tones of muted yellow. (Light mid and dark) which helped make them look solid. You also don't have to put in all the detail like four legs just a suggestion is enough.
The tree trunks I did a dark green-brown tone first then a light strip not the left. The little tree in the centre was in direct sun and glowing orange!
Snow seams to make the land quieter, all I could really hear were the sheep munching on grass nearby :-)

Our back garden with the fence and then the field.

#229 'The Plowing Match' 9x12"

Horse drawn plows & tractors all competing for the best and straightest plowing! Quite mesmerising to watch, and also a bit of a culture shock when we first arrived in the field, with over 40 tractors, horses and farmers doing there thing, so different to the world I know. It took me a while to find a subject and paint.
Also spending time getting the composition right so it wasn't too linear and on the horizon line.
I've not tackled painting a horse before they were going up and down the same lines so you could anticipate where they would be as they came back but still only seconds to capture them. I wanted them big enough in the painting so you know what they are but not too big that they are dominant and tricky to paint! The people in the foreground were chatting for a bit which allowed me to paint them. I enjoyed painting the sky too. 

Here are some of us who was painting that day with a very big shire horse!