Painting en plein air during Augusta Plein Air Art Event at Balducci Winery

SUMMARY OF PLACE:: I was participating in the annual Augusta Plein Air Art Event in Augusta, MO. A sunset quick paint, two hours in duration, was arranged for the evening of April 25. The day had been most cloudy and threatening drizzle. Even as late as 4 pm, the likelihood of a visible sunset seemed remote. Fortunately, however, the skies cleared somewhat just prior to the painting competition.
INSPIRATION:: For months leading up the Augusta Plein Air Art Event, I was looking forward to painting a sunset from the Balducci vineyards. The winery is on a high point, providing an abundant view of the western sky and the rural Augusta landscape. As the clouds opened just in the nick of time, I was feeling quite euphoric. I suspect that no matter what sort of sunset appeared, I would have rendered it in magnficent color. For the painting, I decided to utilize a brilliant undercoat for the sky. Next, I laid the the cloud shapes on top. The foreground would be dark to represent the low-light setting, and it would lead the eye into the painting. The center of interest would be the distant homestead. For the sake of the composition, I edited out the line of trees at the far edge of the field. The trees hindered the view of the homestead and including them would have prevented the composition from capturing the feel of the surrounding Augusta farmland.