I can hardly believe it’s November already. The days are getting darker and the grey and wet can get me down but remembering wonderful days painting en plein air this summer warms my soul. There’s something about painting outside – you bring the experience and witnessing of nature and the environment inside with you. I like how George Carlson puts it:

“Working outdoors or from life puts you in direct contact with the life force, not just the light and the landscape, but also the vitality of the world around you.”      George Carlson

Here’s the process of a pastel I did in late September on a plein air outing with my Mum and Dad on Beddis Road. Even though it was another grey day, the Fall colours called to be painted!  (If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, you’ll have seen other plein air work done this summer, many of them painted on overcast days.)

“Whenever I’ve gone outdoors to paint there is this heightened perceptiveness afterwards. This being at one with everything – the air is fresher and the sky is glorious. It’s a thrill to be alive – and being a painter makes you the luckiest of men.”  Irwin Greenberg 

This warm scene makes me grateful to be living where I am as I think of friends experiencing Hurricane Sandy these last few days (I’ll have to have a wee chat with my friend Sandy about his namesake!). When I start to complain about the weather, I try to keep in mind John Ruskin’s words:

“Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.”   John Ruskin Selected Writings

I look forward to hearing what you think about this pastel. I will be in the studio for a few more days before it heads off to the gallery.

On another note, as you have seen by rogue posts, my website has been doing some strange things and looking like it’s been on vacation. Check it out – it’s back thanks to the fixings of my web designer June Nery. Thanks June!! I know I still have things to do – upload new images for example – but at least it’s up and running again.

Until next time!

~ Gail

PS. On a totally different topic, I am enjoying JK Rowling’s new book, A Casual Vacancy. Her skillful and shrewd descriptions of place and of people and their thoughts and behaviors are delightful. And the politics in the small village of Pagford, well it reminds me of certain places! If you click on the image, it will take you to Amazon.ca and there you will see many fabulous reviews. I had heard that the book hadn’t received great reviews so I was wary at first but I am now deep in the life of these characters and relishing every moment of black and acidic humour!