I love painting plein air, it has it’s own challenges but is immediate and captures atmosphere and the sprirt of a place really well. This piece is part of my plein air residency series at The Acres, a flower farm in Camp Mountain, northwest of Brisbane. Painted directly in the fields, the work explores the markers in the landscape—fence posts, stakes,bush, paddocks and structural lines—which provide rhythm and visual structure. The composition captures the changing light, the textures of earth and timber, and the subtle shifts in the farm environment throughout the seasons.
I would pack a beach trolley with my painting supplies and drag it out into the paddocks of the farm. I would either set up my beach umbrella or find shade under one of the huge fig trees. The two dogs, the odd horse, sheep or cow would check in with me during my morning.
The plein air work was all 40x40 as it was a convenient size to pack and paint on location. The format fit on my picnic table with my painting supplies, and it wasn’t too unwieldy to hang onto if the day was breezy.