Painting Demo at Art in the Garden

Last weekend was Sandpoint's Art in the Garden. It was an entertaining event by beautiful Lake Pend Oreille with live music, food, wine and art. I was on hand to demonstrate plein air painting, as I did last year. The Lord gave us a beautiful evening; not too cold, and a fun one to paint outdoors. Although sundown is my favorite time to work en plein air, it is always challenging to capture a scene in light that quickly changes and fades.

By the time I got enough down on the canvas to look like a painting, the light was pretty much gone and I couldn't really see what my work looked like.

(left)

This is as far as I got on the piece that night, which would not be bad if it was really small, but the canvas is 10"x10", so I felt it needed a little more development.

Participants in the outdoor event had the opportunity to win my painting that night and the recipient of the prize was excited about the piece. I wanted to see what my work looked like in the daylight, so promised to finish the painting and deliver it to the winner later.  

(at left, the finished piece)
"September Evening at the Lake"  Oil 10"x10"  
©2010 Diana Moses Botkin