Spring in the Black Hills has  arrived along with my commitment to expand my studio: to the outdoors!  We have an old Jeep which has been sitting in the driveway, and I have now officially converted it into a studio on wheels.  I will be using it to travel to beautiful areas here in my own backyard, while I explore Plein Aire Painting.  That is the process of painting outdoors, directly from nature, while recording the immediacy of what is seen. This was embraced by the French Impressionists, and now my me with renewed vigor.

This scene is taken from the Old Belle Fourche Highway, looking back towards Spearfish, and seeing Crow Peak in the background.  The painting is unfinished, needing to dry now before final touches.  I am very pleased with the start: including the bug that stuck itself into the top right hand corner of my smooth blue sky!