The Sentry

The Sentry, 10x8 oil

This majestic row of trees was painted on July 7, at Courtcliffe Park in Hamilton, Ontario.  I know ... over a month ago ... just a little behind with my postings.  The funny thing about painting 'en plein air' is that I remember everything about the time I spend on every painting.  I remember why I chose a certain view, as opposed to one in a different location and what the particular circumstances were while I was painting, as well as the decisions that I made during the painting.  It's almost as if time stands still, all that matters at that moment is the painting.  Sometimes it can take 3 to 4 hours to complete, but feels like only an hour had passed, while other times it may only take an hour and I can't believe it's completed because it felt like 10 minutes.  Either way, I'm always surprised when I look at a clock afterwards. 

When I painted 'The Sentry' it was a warm day with a bit of a breeze.  The trees looked so impressive with the sun behind them, creating a strong silhouette.  I chose to stand under the shade of a large tree in the open part of the park. I wanted to be away from the forest where the stream runs through because the mosquitos were particularly bad that day, (I forgot to pack sunscreen and bug spray).