A virtual diary

Most of the landscape paintings were done entirely on site--it's called "Plein air" painting-- with the exception of the "Bowral courthouse" painting, which was drawn on location and painted in the studio. When I paint in the studio I listen to audio books and whilst painting "Bowral courthouse" I was listening to "The diary of Anne Frank"(an exceptional reading by Winona Ryder) , the overall colour composition was done intuitively and I think it mildly reflects the feeling of that book. Also, the cloud in "Menangle Church" was added later.

When I look at my paintings (particularly the landscapes) they are like a "virtual" diary, I remember exactly what was going on inside and outside of me, in surprising detail. Such as; who I was pregnant with, the weather conditions (wind, heat, rain), dodgey stalker-types, friendly passers-by, even particular thoughts that were interfering with my focus at the time. Some of the paintings, particularly the Autumn ones, I had to go back to the place year after year in order to finish; being a mother my outdoor painting hours are quite limited and the leaves would be there one week and gone the next. Not a very practical way to paint but the nuances of colour, paricularly in the shadows, aren't visible in photographs. Also, because time is of the essence, paint application is more lively and spontaneous which overall adds greater energy to the painting.
Plein air painting is like a painter's work out, gruelling but beneficial in so many ways. I've been studio bound for quite a while now, I'm woefully out of shape--I'll post more of the studio paintings soon.