The weather here is driving us nuts.  Yesterday the Internet called for sunny skies today and this morning it was in fact sunny.  I even put on shorts and a tee shirt, expecting the rays to warm me as I painted away. 

As soon as we got out the door, the clouds rolled in and we were looking at flat grey skies with a chance of drizzle.  We lucked out with no rain, but had to deal with dropping temperatures.  Halfway through the painting session I was freezing and shacking, welcome to summers in northern Europe.  Now I know why I like Provence better, at least there the weather is more dependable.  Sixty something degrees with a stiff wind out of the west is no fun. 

 

You will notice the painting starts out in some sunlight; I decided to keep it in that nature, as opposed to the gloom and doom of overcast skies.  Michael Lynch, who is a very good plein aire artist can get away with it, I can not!  The sun was actually coming out every once in a while in the beginning. 

Well after I finished it as best I could in low light, I decided to run back and get some warmer cloths.  Rick, who brought along a heavy coat, wanted me to bring that back as well.  And as Murphy has it, as soon as I walked out the door with my winter gear, the sun came out.  I was sweating as I walked back to the Amstel River, where we set up.  The “law” set in once again as I put up my easel for my afternoon session, heavy dark clouds came back in to welcome me as I started to block in the scene across the bridge from where I painted in the morning. 

I started out with an overcast kind of look, but soon the sun peaked out for a bit and I saw the colors.  I decided to try for that feel and waited for the occasional light to poke through as I recorded it down in the painting. 

Tomorrow who knows how the weather will be?

Richard Boyer