Day 1
Ahh I can breathe again! . I went to check on some daffodils, to see if they survived the recent rain and to my delight not only had they survived, but they were in full bloom. I proceeded to dive in and try to capture the scene. As I was painting a woman rode by on her bicycle and smiled at me and exclaimed “She’s Back!” I waved. I chuckled to myself and thought about what a delight it was to be to be considered part of the landscape. The daffodils were more vibrant and beautiful than I have seen in recent years and they seemed to be laughing in the breeze. I was so happy to be outside painting and proceeded to swiftly mix colors and build my painting. I usually paint standing, but I wanted to a closer vantage point to the blooms, so this day I worked seated. I worked quickly and portrayed the daffodils to my satisfaction. I struggled a bit with the land in the distance and knew this part needed more work. As the bicycler rode by again, she exclaimed “It’s nice to see you again!”

Day 2
Where are my glasses? (I lose then often) I looked everywhere and considered that I may have dropped them while I was painting. I usually work on a landscape during the same approximate time frame, either morning or afternoon. I worked on the daffodils in the  afternoon, but I went back the next morning, because I wanted to look for my glasses! Since I was going, I brought my painting gear “Just in case” I started thinking that maybe I would get some answers to my problem with the painting during a different time of day…. This was unconventional, yet an intriguing idea.  So I carted all of my gear back to the spot and eagerly looked around for my glasses… and there they were lying in the grass! What a pleasant surprise! I looked out at the scene and realized that I would be able to finish the piece at that time. As I had already completed the blooms, I could work standing, running back and forth to get distance from the painting. I was able to complete the painting and also learn some new lessons along the way.  A great way to start the plein-air season!

Here is the completed painting “Laughing Daffodils” 16x20