"The Grainery Tracks" Heartland plein air painting by Robin Weiss

 

"The Grainery Tracks" 9x14 oil on panel   SOLD

Most plein air painting competitions have some variation of the "Quick Draw".  A place and time are designated and all the artists set up, wait for the horn and then have two hours to complete a painting. The work is then displayed, judged for awards and sold to the highest bidder.

I found this spot a hundred yards down the tracks with the Grainery showing through the trees. It seemed to me a great composition. The morning sky stunning as the sun was rising. The frustrating part was waiting for the start of the quick draw about twenty minuets away and the sky was rapidly changing!

You will notice in the picture that I have my panel mounted in a floater frame covered with brown paper so that when the painting is finished I can quickly remove the paper and display the painting. That helps save time! 

Also I had time to make a quick sketch of my composition while I waited. Also very helpful! 

It's almost 9am, the start time of the event. Did I hear the starting horn?   No!  It was a train sounding in the distance and coming my way!  I quickly attached my pack to the bottom of the easel so it wouldn't be blown over and scrambled up the bank. I watched the train, a long train, go by as the start time passed.  A fellow artist came down the bank to see if I was okay. He heard the train coming too and knew where I set up. When the train passed I got back to work and finished the painting.  Whew!