Paint The Town - Day 3

Day 3 of the Paint The Town Plein Air Event in Florence, CO had a rule:  paint within 6 blocks of the center of town.  Day 3 for me was Friday of last week, the 5th day of the event.  Even early, the day was overcast and windy.  I drove around the designated area for about 45 minutes looking for something that jumped out and called "paint me, paint me!"  Finally, my friend Dottie Lirette and I parked by the old Depot and decided we would paint something right there.  Sometimes, that's easier.

I had painted a series of alley doors in a plein air event in Walsenburg, CO in May, so knew that I could make this door work.  I set up across a small, dried out creek and painted away.  After just a short time I had to create a wind block.  I turned my car around, opened the back hood, and used that as a wind break.  Even still, I often had to hold on to my easel.  It was really windy!

I moved some of the architectural features around to include them in the painting.  Artistic license is great.  When setting up a still life, you move the objects around until you create what you want.  The same can be done in a plein air piece.  You take what's in front of you and make it work compositonally.