Hogsback Falls, Ottawa

Hogsback Falls was my first 'Plein Air' painting of 2014. 'Plein Air' or 'En Plein Air' painting means that the painting was painted on location rather than in the studio. I also read somewhere recently  that another term used is 'Reportage'. I really enjoy painting on location since I enjoy being outdoors and usually we are out with a group. Not all my plein air paintings work out. There are some that I paint over even before leaving the location and others that I will paint over at a later date and yet others that don't work out entirely but there are some elements that inspire me to start another similar painting in the studio. Sometimes I will finish a painting while out but mostly I take a picture and finish it at home in my studio. For Hogsback Falls I reached the point where I wasn't really happy with what was happening so I 'gave up' and just started painting anything to fill the board ... this is usually where the magic starts happening for me ... when I stop trying so hard. In my last half hour I was able to get the painting to where I actually liked it and was willing to finish it in the studio. My only regret ... that it isn't bigger ... so much power confined to such a small space.