Plein Air painting demonstration for Dixie Watercolor Society

My good friend and fellow artist Myron Laub asked me to do a quick plein air painting demonstration at the monthly paint-out of the Dixie Watercolor Society this week. He chose a wonderful spot on the edge of Green Springs near St. George with a grand view of the red cliffs and Pine Valley Mountain. My job was to show how I approach the subject of sage brush in watercolors.
  I started by explaining how our artistic eye is drawn to the lightest light against the darkest dark as we find edges and shapes in nature. I showed how the morning light distinctly outlined the edges of each sagebrush and showed the soft whispy structure of the plant against the dark shadow side of the bush behind it. I did a fast pencil value study to show how it works, then launched into a quick quarter-sheet demo in watercolor. Following my demonstration the others in the group retired to their individual painting spots and went to work creating their own images.

My plein air demonstration painting for the Dixie Watercolor Society