Trash Pickup Day

What is more urban than alleys and trash containers?  We set out to paint alleys Sacramento on Wednesday.  It was adventurous as we disturbed some homeless late sleepers as well as found a new litter of pups.  The trees now have color and provide a nice frame to our scenes.  Many of the trash barrels were lined up in the alley.  There were long shadows from sunlight this morning.  I kept debating whether to place figures in the scene but then decided that the trash containers told a good story.

Air Conditioned Barn II

Good morning for painting today, until the wind came.  This barn is located about 10 minutes from me.  I've painted it several times from different views.  Every year the barn loses a few more boards but the farmer still stores his hay and tractor inside.  No patching or repairs have been undertaken, so it has developed character.  There were sheep in the yard the last time that I painted it. 

I put a bungy cord around my paint box and clamped my paper block down.  I think that painting with the wind blowing is the most difficult condition of all.  I keep my paper wet and let the paints run.  I set my paper on a vertical so there are plenty of drips.  In the past I would get bothered with the running water and color but now, I know that I can just blot or lift it if dry.  The paint just works better on a wet paper.