En Plein Air: Bird Watcher Larry (Oil, 12 x 14)

I hate wasting paint. When the time for my scheduled traveling was around the corner, I needed to get ready. However, to my dismay, I realized there was still plenty of paint in the box. I knew I needed to clean up my kit; otherwise the paint would dry up and become too hard to remove. A foreseeable outcome would be to throw away the paint box for good. Therefore, before I dumped all the paint from the box, I told myself I wanted to use it for the last time. I drove to Harns Marsh. To my surprise, there were quite a few bird watchers there on Sunday morning. Most of them left their vehicles at the road block and, carrying their big telebinoculars, walked toward the woods.

I noticed a guy who, unlike many other bird watchers, parked his car on roadside and sat in his own car's long shadow from the morning sun, looking very relaxed. We greeted each other. His name was Larry. At first he thought I was a bird watcher, too. I explained that I was an artist.  Then I asked him how long he was going to sit there. He relied he might stay till ten something. I thought to myself that would be enough time for a figure in environment, so I requested to paint him. He smiled and consented.

After this painting, my friends, you may see some of the sketch drawings I do while traveling, but not paintings for a while. I carry my sketch book, not easel, with me.