First Plein Air Painting!

The title pretty much says it all. My friend Haley, also an artist, called me up and asked if I wanted to go out and paint nature. I had always thought I'd get around to it, but to actually go and DO it? Wow! Yes! I was really glad she called :)

So we packed our bags, boards, brushes, and canvases, and drove to the Arroyo Seco under the Colorado St. Bridge. After walking the path for a bit we saw a gorgeous little bit of the stream with rocks and waterfalls, rolled our pants up, and took off through the mud, trees, spiderwebs, and streambeds. After trekking through nature for a few minutes, we reached our chosen spot and settled in on two rocks at the edge of the stream. I happened to look up and notice that the branch near me framed Haley so nicely...and I decided to put Haley in my first landscape painting :D...heehee.

Anyways, it was a total joy to sit with my feet in the mud (literally) and paint under the sun and trees. We took breaks to explore and do...nature-y things!

Here's the painting:

I don't know how I feel about that tree..
Anyways, here's a snapshot from my iPhone of what I was looking at while painting: