Painting Month: Day 2 Recap

For day 2, I planned for a shorter day, just doing a single painting at Diablo Foothills Regional Park.

Diablo Foothills Regional Park

Sitting at the edge of Walnut Creek, this is an understated park with a beautiful view of Mount Diablo.

I quickly found the view I wanted to paint, but I struggled a lot with the composition.

Golden foothills of Mount Diablo under wispy cirrus clouds, seen past a flowering shrub and a wire ranch fence.

I made several value sketches to trial different compositions and finally landed on one that had some of Mount Diablo cast in shadow, and some of its beautiful golden hills showing.

A pochade box easel holds a canvas with a burnt-orange line sketch blocking in the hill and cloud shapes, palette of mixed color below.

I was really drawn to some of the striking patterns that the light/shadow were making. Unfortunately I got off to a late start and ran out of light before I was able to finish the painting. Here is where I left it at the end of the day.

The same easel now holds a fuller oil study: a sunlit golden hill against dark shadowed masses, brushes and a paint-rinse pot at hand.

I plan to finish this in the studio later in the week.