Plein Air: Bernhard's House

For plein air oil sketches, usually I prefer 9 x 12 panels. In my trunk I had an 8 x 10 panel which I had Gessoed with a brownish color but never had a chance to use it for quite some time because of its size. I told myself I got to use it. So I hopped into my car this morning in an attempt to find a spot to paint.

I got to a part of my town which I had never been to before. It was Wheeler Road. A very spacious area with fewer houses than where I live. However, many of the houses were pretty big. As I was driving, I passed by a beautiful Mediterranean-style house, but obviously it had not been completed because the block walls on the outside was not painted and some of the windows were boarded. What the heck -- another uncompleted home construction? I asked myself. Remember I just painted an uncompleted house yesterday. However, this one was way too much of a shame. It looked very classy with orange tile roof and a majestic facade. Evidently, the designer had an ambitious plan for it, judging by the layout of the landscape and everything. I noticed there were two places on the front lawn where large boulders were laid for landscaping. It was too big for my 8 x 10 panel, but I decided to paint it anyway although I couldn't include its details.

I can never bear the sight of uncompleted home construction sites or abandoned homes. Don't call me sentimental, but I remember the first time in my life when I was touched by the sight was in South Carolina. I saw an abandoned farm house with a caved in roof and climbing sterns growing all over it. However, I noticed some colorful flowers were still in full bloom. Maybe it was their season. Now the owner was gone and what was left behind were those pretty flowers which were, to me, like a faithful lover waiting for the owner to come back someday. Possibly because of the experience, it always bothers me to see a sight like that.

I am so glad that as I was painting there, the house owner Bernhard and his daughter happened to come. He assured me that he had been working on the house and tried to get it completed. I knew it was a tough decision to make with today's sluggish realty market. I wish Bernhard good luck with his house and be able one day to live in the house like a proud lord in his castle.