The Qual Ranch, 12 x 36″ Oil on Canvas

I took part in an 11 day Plein air painting event hosted by Deselms Gallery and the Wyoming Land Trust.  To paint in Plein Air means to paint on site… in the open air.  This type of painting brings the artist out of the studio, and the challenge is to capture the essence of the location before it inevitably changes.

I took on this  painting event as a personal challenge, as a way to meet new artists and learn from them, and to better acquaint myself with the gallery I am working with in Cheyenne.   This event was comprised of 52 very good artists from all over the country: from Wyoming of course, but also Colorado, Nebraska, Oregon and Tennessee (and myself being the only representative from South Dakota)  It began in Cheyenne on August 1st, when I took my canvas and paper to the gallery to be stamped, thus verifying that I didn’t start  painting before that day.  I had the entire state of Wyoming in which to paint, which posed a problem for me:  what to limit myself to!  There were some amazing locations my mother has taken me to over the years, and I used this opportunity in which to re-visit them.  Doing this presented an excellent challenge to me, as not only did I paint on site, averaging 2 paintings a day, but in the driving between the locations.  (Wyoming is a HUGE state, by the way!!!)   Over the next couple of weeks, I will blog about this experience, as it was quite an amazing journey for me.

The image with this writing is one of last paintings I completed, but one of the first in which I conceived of.  Weeks before the event, I scouted out regional eastern Wyoming sites that I wanted to paint, and this was a top choice: The Qual Ranch.  The beautiful red cliffs of the land going north on Highway 111 from the Wyoming Visitors Center was made all the more striking by this year’s exceptionally green grass.  The area has had much more rain than usual, and the beauty of the green has remained long past when it usually does, much to my benefit!  As I was painting, the Qual family came over to see the painting as it progressed, which added to the experience for me.  I biker also stopped, and I was a little nervous, as this was during the notorious Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.  It turns out he just wanted me to take his photo in front of this beautiful scene as well!

I really would like to have some dialogue, so if you have any comments for me, please reply!  Have you seen this site near Spearfish?

Painted for the Prairies to Peaks Plein Air event August 1 – 13, 2011.  This painting is on display at Deselms Gallery in Cheyenne, WY through Sept. 30th.