Sonoran Landscape 6X8" oil on canvas

                                                                                                

















This little painting presented a huge challenge for me.  There were all these greens, just subtly different, lying on different planes in the landscape and at different distances.  Color and tonal changes were subtle but essential.  I almost wiped this one off, but in the end I decided to try to work the problems through, and I think it came together.  I find landscapes done mid day are tougher because the light gets really flat, and there is less contrast and shadow shapes to create design and really sink your teeth into. Pretty tricky.  I sometimes have to remind myself that the most important reason I am painting plein air regularly is not to turn out a jewel of a painting, but rather to engage the process and  to become a better painter!