Here are two paintings from April. The first painting was done on an overcast day in Shenandoah National Park. This is the view from Hensley Hollow overlook. This is the closest overlook to my house, about 15 minutes away. The lack of strong sunlight really made the view of early spring soft and atmospheric.
It was mostly cloudy and started raining a little bit at one point. I was able to fit myself and my easel under the back hatch of my minivan and keep painting.
The valley looking west towards the Massanutten mountain range was starting to turn green. There was a little bit of light coming through the clouds at one point that really lit up the green, which was starting to drift up the sides of the opposing mountains. What a lovely day to paint.
I think it would be fun to create a painting at every overlook along Skyline Drive. There are beautiful views in every direction! I should probably count to see how many overlooks there are before I embark on that project…
The second painting was done at the Greene County Historical Society. The Art Guild of Greene held an Earth Day celebration with crafts, music, and outdoor activities. After helping with setup, I spent most of the time working on this painting. There were two other plein air friends painting as well, which always makes it more fun!
This was done on a bright, sunny day and the contrast of the shadows on the new spring grass really caught my attention. The view is of the field directly behind the Historical Society. It was lots of fun to have my family come by and hang out for a little while too.
Patsy Cooner Art 