September’s Light

Hello all!

It’s September and the start of the best season of the year; Autumn! Being an artist, I may be a little bit biased though. Autumn in Pennsylvania is an explosion of colors, scents, and sensations. I’ve lived in places that don’t have visible change of seasons (you know who you are Florida) and it was honestly the thing I yearned for the most.

Now have a look at ‘September’s Light’! I tried to paint fast as the sun was emerging. The light was hitting the tops of the trees which created the most beautiful warm yellow color.

2020-L33-Unger-September’sLight-8x10 / ‘September’s Light’ / Oil on Canvas / 8”x10” / Cassi Unger

When I first started plein air painting, I used to get overwhelmed by color. There seemed to be so much movement and so much to scope from that I found it hard to single down any one form.

I found out that many plein air artists starting out have this problem as well. And through training to see color from life and a hell of a lot of repetition, I can say that I better grasp this skill.

Here also is a shot of some of the colors I used. Don’t mind the speckled cast shadows from the tree above.

Light is one thing I’ve taken for granted previously. When learning a skill like painting, sometimes you think you understand a concept, so you don’t take it into account. Only then, realizing years later that you’ve missed a few steps… or things just ‘click’ at different times.

Recently when painting, I try to ask myself where the light is coming from and what color it is. Light is one of the main things that has a dramatic impact on an outdoor painting. *cue the lion king opening sequence*

Have a colorful day,

xxCass