Painting on the Farm River - Part I

I live near the Farm River in Northford and love to paint there, especially in the spring. The Farm River begins from a small brook flowing off Pistapaug Pond, which is partially within the towns of Wallingford, Durham and North Branford. From there it flows southward sixteen miles and empties into Long Island Sound. Near the shoreline, the fresh water mixes with sea water and it becomes an estuary. The area that I chose to paint is surrounded by open fields owned by the town. Trees and wild undergrowth line the river on both sides. The river draws wildlife including deer, rabbits, turtles, and coyotes.

I had spotted this place on one of my hikes in the area and knew it would be a great place to paint, especially before the vegetation filled in and blocked the view. There was a good down river view of water, new growth, fallen trees, and light rapids with nice contrasts of light and dark values. Looking in this direction, I decided where my focus was going to be, then I positioned myself on the bank in a shady area, with the sun shining overhead at around the eleven o’clock position.

My Setup

When I paint plein air, I use a Guerrilla Box with a very heavy camera tripod. While it’s a bit heavy for travel, it’s sturdy in windy conditions so I don't need to worry that a gust of wind will send my box flying.

 The canvas board is small, 9H x 12W, and fits into the lid of the box. Behind that, I stored my drawing paper. The box comes with a slide out wooden palette, which makes it easy to clean. I can store some items under the palette in the little compartments. I put my brushes, gloves, pencil, small can for the gel, my chopstick, a thin bag that I use for dirty brushes, and charcoal in those sections. In my backpack, which is a light nylon, besides my box, I packed my phone, water, mineral spirits, paper towels, trash bag, and bug spray.

My Palette

Because I hiked for a distance of around ¼ mile, I packed as light as I could. I prepared my palette ahead of time with the colors and only took a tube of white with me. My palette consisted of Titanium white, Cadmium yellow, orange and red, Alizarin crimson, Transparent Oxide Red and Brown, Permanent Green, Viridian, Cerulean, Cobalt blue, and Ultramarine Blue. I also added a spot of Liquin gel in a small can. I brought one medium bristle and two small synthetic brushes.
I put some mineral spirits in a very small jar, took a few paper towels, a piece of paper and some vine charcoal. I prepped the canvas a light green ahead of time, to help save time.

"In many ways, a painting is a synthesis of opposites: light and shadow, warm and cool, sharp and soft, coarse and fine. These polarities, when integrated into the picture, create vibrancy and dynamism."

-Gregg Kreutz

Packing List for Plein Air Painting

• A full size French easel, Guerrilla Box, or Pochade Box
• Nylon backpack
• Phone
• Leak proof solvent container
• View Finder
• Nylon gloves
• Small pad of paper
• Pencil
• Vine charcoal
• Small panel or canvas that fits into the lid of box
• Insect repellent
• Drinking water
• Extra paint
• Trash bag
• Poncho
• A wide brim hat
• A sandwich, trail mix, or some kind of snack
• Earbuds for phone or iPod for music
• Umbrella that can be attached to the easel (for working in the sun)
• A rope to tie to a large rock to suspend from box for windy days or tent stakes.

I carry the box in a back pack when I find I will be walking quite a distance to my subject.

When painting from photos, above a certain lightness, everything in a photo is a washed out white and below a given darkness, colors become one unidentifiable color. The human eye is much more sensitive to color and values and is able to detect vastly more of each.

Next

In Part II, I'll take you through my process, from composition to sketch, then my steps for painting this beautiful bucolic scene. Stay tuned!