The Gorge

 

The Gorge

9" x 12" oil on board

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This is the Potomac River Gorge in Great Falls National Park - Virginia Side.  It didn't win a ribbon, but I had more fun painting this one than almost any other.  

After hiking downriver almost a mile with all of my gear, I came to a set of stairs leading down into a gorge cut by a creek and steeply back up the other side.  I didn't want to hike much farther because I would have to hike back the same distance while carrying my painting, but I decided to see what was at the top of the stairs.  My curiosity paid off with a great vista and no one else around - lack of people being equally as important as the vista...although a random guy did ask to take a selfie with me, which I obliged.

The day was spectacular, but the wind was howling down the river and I was perched on the edge of a cliff, so I had to keep my foot on the easel to prevent it from flying into the gorge while watching my own step and making sure no other supplies landed in the the river. 

The cloud shadow was a risk that paid off.  It looked terrible at first, but I kept adjusting it each time a cloud passed and, to me, it makes the painting. Here's a view of my setup and the vista:

Afternoon at the Miller's

Afternoon at the Miller's

12" x 12" oil on board

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This is the flip side to my previous post - the other side of the miller's house at Colvin Run Mill, painted the afternoon of the same day. I polled a number of folks regarding which one I should enter in the Paint Great Falls plein air competition, and this painting won out, almost 2:1, so I went with it.  Still, I'm doubting myself because I kind of prefer the other painting and, alas, it did not win a ribbon. 

Late Morning at the Miller's

 

Late Morning at the Miller's

12" x 12" oil on board

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This is the miller's house, located at the historic Colvin Run Mill in Fairfax County.  The mill was built around 1811, and it still works. I painted the house as part of the Paint Great Falls outdoor painting competition. This was the first time I've entered into a painting competition, and it was a lot for me. If I do anything like this again, I will probably wait until summer because I wasn't able to devote the time to it that I should have.  The competition went on all week long, but I was only able to give it three days, and I completed three paintings. Meantime, I'm juggling a major garden project at my school, working full time, attending my kids sports and practices and generally running myself into the ground. 

Despite all of that, I put way too much weight on earning a ribbon. When I didn't earn one, instead of letting myself feel good about putting myself out there, painting in front of people for the first time, having the chance to hang my work in a gallery for a month, etc., I felt discouraged. I know that's ridiculous, but I still feel it.  But maybe that feeling is necessary when you really care about something and you're determined. Let it drive you or let it stop you.  That's the choice. 

Also, I chose not to enter this painting - I was allowed to enter two, and after much polling, this one did not make the cut...maybe it should have?

Evening Light - Backyard

Evening Light - Backyard 

8" x 8" oil on board

This is one I'd like to revisit or turn into a more finished painting.  I was just trying to get some practice in before the Paint Great Falls outdoor painting competition. I worked on this for under an hour, which may be obvious. Sometimes, though, I like the ones that take under an hour just as much or more than the paintings that take multiple hours. 

Lonely Peony

Lonely Peony

5" x 7" oil on board

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The peony plant in front of our house is usually loaded with blooms but for some reason it only had one this year - here it is! 

Roudy's Retreat

Roudy's Retreat

8" x 10" oil on board

Great little Airbnb cabin in Montebello, VA, that is equidistant to Nelson County wine country and the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia.  I gifted this painting to the owner of the cabin for the cost of shipping and materials.  Hope she hangs it!

River Road

River Road

8" x 10" oil on board

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Route 612 in Highland County, VA, just beyond the low water bridge that cuts across the Bullpasture River. One of my favorite paintings of one of my favorite spots.

Virginia's Little Switzerland

Virginia's Little Switzerland

8" x 10" oil on board

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Another view from my favorite cabin spot in Highland County, VA.