Finished in the Field

"Barclay House"
5 x 7, Oil on Linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2013

Recently I wrote about my process for making some corrections to a plein air painting, after bringing it back to the studio. I promised some examples of paintings that I had finished completely in the field, and never touched up after returning to the studio.

"Pont Neuf"
Oil on Canvas
(c) Lesley Powell 2013

All of the paintings shown in this post are "pure" plein air--no retouching later. For me, and for most painters, it is a rare event when a painting comes together so completely in the field that it requires no further attention. It's a sort of "Eureka!" moment. 

"Eiffel Tower from my Window"
Oil on Linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2013

These paintings can be some of the strongest ones. As the old saying goes, "The best paintings paint themselves". In my case, these painting are often the second effort of the outing. The first effort can be labored, and shows the struggle of addressing the problems of composition, color and so forth. But that first painting can also be the springboard for the second--after addressing all of those problems, the second painting can seem to come together miraculously. I'm all for those miracles!