Sunset through the Trees

Oil on panel, 6x6

The skies of January have simply been breathtaking!  Looking out past the west pasture, I begin this painting quickly.  There is so little time to capture a sunrise or sunset before all of the color disappears!   With this in mind, I start with the bold colors I don't want to lose first.  Using broad knife strokes to skim the surface of my board, I get the whole surface covered.  Since I'm in a hurry, I drop in the trees with the knife, instead of negatively painting them.  As the color fades from the sky, I tweek a few of those colors by dragging the knife lightly over the base layer of paint.  This one is thick and juicy, and my 1483rd painting in 1483 days :)