What does a New England plein air painter do in the cold winter months? I have had many exciting projects going on this winter.

Some of these projects have been finishing paintings in my studio that I started outside. Then there were others that were done en plein air and then upon reflection, I decided to make some revisions. This re-evaluation sometimes leads to minor yet significant changes while other times leads to a major overhaul. Once embarking on this endeavor, you have to be ready for wherever it takes you.

One of these paintings is entitled “Kayak”. I started this painting on the marsh during the autumn with the gorgeous reds and golds and intense blue water. This is a sizable piece at 30”x40”, so when the wind kicked up, I really had to hold on to it like a sail. At some point I needed to head inside. While working outside there was no figure in the painting. I realized that the photos that I have taken earlier in the summer of kayakers would serve me well. I had a spot in the foreground that was just asking for a kayaker. The figure gave the piece a focus and sense of humanity. I took liberties with the colors and gave the kayaker a red hat that also highlighted the figure.

This has been an important lesson for me to learn, allowing me to make each piece the finest it can be.  Now with the fleeting hints of spring in the air, my mind dreams of painting outside again and the joys of directly responding directly to nature. It’s all good.