Closing of Schoharie Crossing Historic Site
Today I received word that the Schoharie Crossing Historic Site will be closed until further notice. This lovely area is part of our Erie Canal heritage here in New York State. In order to balance the budget the governor and elected officials have decided that closing park and recreation sites to families and plein air painters will somehow make the fiscal woes go away. I am sadly awaiting word of other sites on the chopping block. The freedom to paint anywhere is something I have taken for granted. During the Great Depression New York State never closed a park. It's a sad day in our history.
Comment on or Share this Article →The Perils of Plein Air
Yesterday my friend Maureen and I went to Lions Park in Niskayuna located along the Mohawk-Hudson Bike Trail. (See photo at left). I thought I could try out my new Cheap Joe's Signature Field Easel. Well the day was beautiful but by the time we set up the winds had increased to 30-40 mph gusts. I have to say my new easel was steady and secure but between the changing light on the water due to the wind and the dust and debris from the trees blowing onto my painting it did not go well. I figured since the weather was so iffy I would just plunge into painting and not make my initial sketch for
values and composition. That was mistake number one. Always work out an initial sketch. No amount of paint can save a boring scene with no spark. Well I kept trying to change the appearance of the water as the wind whipped up and making the water darker in some areas and lighter in others. Finally, after a couple hours enough was enough and we packed up and came home. In packing I also dropped my painting smashing all the work I had done on the foreground trees into a large blob. I may try to save this awful painting (see right) in the studio or go back on a less windy day and redo from the beginning. I learned a couple things from this trip. First don't skip the sketch, second, consider the weather conditions objectively and finally, my easel seems like a great purchase and withstood the elements admirably. Oh well tomorrow is another plein air day.
