Falmouth Farm Field in July - En Plein Air

Falmouth is a lovely farm village just across a bridge over the Avon River from my home town of Windsor, Nova Scotia. It was ever a quick escape for me as a busy doctor to have a chance to do what is called today a 'plein air' painting. That French art term means in the 'open air' and refers to a painting done outdoors in daylight - on the spot, as it were, rather than in a studio from a photo. As a busy family physician and with no 'art studio' available, for years I was forced to paint 'on the spot' - long before the fancy term was invented! Today it sounds like 'magic' when we hear that a particular small painting was done by a certain artist, 'En Plein Air'. I still love doing it - whenever the Canadian weather permits it! But, when days are not conducive to going out in the wild winter weather and facing the impossible problems that weather often creates for us Canadian paintaholics, I just dip into the photo filing cabinet and take my pick of any subject that interests me, and get busy with creating another painting. I've been there, on the spot, studied the landscape, taken plenty of photos, and done enough paintings that way, that I don't have to prove to anybody that this painting or that was done 'en plein air'! This one just happens to have been done that way, on a piece of quality painting cardboard. I remember well, the day, the field and the beautiful experience. I hope the painting expresses all of that.