Plein-air painting -What a difference a day makes.

There has been no rain for longer than the 42 days that I have been plein-air painting each day.  A heat haze and smoke in the air has kept the look and feel off all the paintings I have done, warm and hot.  The dryness of the land is reflected in all the paintings until today.

Today is different.  A cold front and storm came through last night and washed the dust off, cleared the air and sparked an energy to all living things, so much so it's almost palatable.  In 10 hours the grass has changed colour, ever so slightly, but it has changed. The sky colours are different, less red and more blue. Nature is amazing!

My plein-air excursion was later today, 11am. The air is clean again it feels like a real spring day and not a summer day. It is curious to compare today's landscape painting with a 'yesterdays' from the 42 painted in hot hazy conditions.
Painters who live in a more 'hectic' climate will be used to  this change of light and colour. As weather conditions change these painters will be quicker to  see, or notice this, or maybe not at all, as it is too fast a change? I'd love to hear from painters who live in this sort of environment as to how it effects their work.

Plein-air painting has been a gold mine for artists wanting to learn by observation. We have all heard those sayings about 'the more you look the more you see' and 'learn by brush miles', they are so right. Observation is only one aspect of what we can learn from Mother Natures Academy.

I'm putting up two painting photos today that show the difference a day makes. Yesterday was warm and threatening. Today is cool and damp. When I am painting my aim is to relate the feeling, the mood of the moment and of course the weather has a lot to do with that.
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What are your comments about these two paintings?
(Use the turquoise comment box to the left.)  THANKS AND HAPPY PAINTING, Karol

Both are oil on board 10 x 8" The one on the left is a palette knife painting and the one on the right is made with a brush.  
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PS:  Both are for sale, and priced at AUD$200 each. Email me if you would like to own one or both!! at
oakleyfineart@gmail.com

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After the rain and the cool change, the colours are more blue based and the painting is denser or closer.

During the hot weather the colours are more red based and the painting is airier.