Plein air watercolor landscape painting of ranchland in Montana
Plein air watercolor painting 6. 5 inches x 10 inches
Montana in June was marvelous! They have had a lot more rain this year than usual (maybe TOO much!) and the land was lush, green and covered with wildflowers. We spent most of our time at Bonanza Creek riding the 35,000 acre ranch, soaking up the unbelievably beautiful scenery. A couple of days were spent on culling out “pairs” (a mother and baby cow) from the herd, team penning (separating specific cows into specific pens) and moving one of the herds to new grazing grounds. Of course, all of these tasks could have been done with one experienced rancher and a dog, but our group of 7 plucky cowgirls did an admirable job.
I didn’t have much time for plein air watercolor painting but I did manage to do a few quick sketches in the afternoons. Whenever I travel to a new location, it takes me a while to “get the lay of the land.” And believe me, the land out there is amazing! How do you suggest endless fields and valleys that lead, miles away, to huge jagged mountain ranges? Especially when it is not the landscape that you are familiar with? This is my first attempt at a watercolor landscape of the daunting but very beautiful western countryside…
Plein air watercolor landscape painting of a road leading to a Montana ranch
Plein air Watercolor painting 15 inches x 5.5 inches
Sometimes an extreme horizontal format is the best way to capture the feeling of a location, especially if you want to create a panorama effect. This Montana watercolor landscape was painted in July when the fields had already turned to gold, but before everything has greyed down and lost its vibrancy.
Plein air watercolor landscape painting of a distant ranch from the fields.
Plein air Watercolor painting 15 inches x 5.5 inches
This piece was painted sitting in the exact same position as the last watercolor landscape I posted. I expanded my view and worked in an extreme horizontal instead of vertical format. Its nice when you find a plein air spot that offers various interesting views. Sometimes I work on 2 or 3 paintings at a time, letting one dry while I start in on another. The golden fields that September excited me and I wanted to try to capture them in a couple of different ways.
Plein air watercolor landscape of ranch land in Montana
Plein air Watercolor painting 5.5 inches x 15.5 inches
When I visit new places, it helps me to jump outside my usual style and techniques. The countryside in Montana pushed me to work in different compositions and sizes. In this watercolor landscape I wanted to capture some of the enormity of the landscape, but from a close-up and personal viewpoint. I sat near one of the trout streams and looked out toward the distant mountains.
Plein air watercolor landscape painting of a road and fields on a Montana ranch.
Watercolor painting 15 inches x 5.5 inches $200
Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.
I painted this plein air watercolor landscape when I was out west visiting my sister. She worked as a marketing director on the coolest ranch in southwest Montana. They raised and trained high-end quarter horses for sale. The ranch was stunningly beautiful and I painted alot out there for a few summers. You can see some of my other paintings from that time here.
But Beth has moved on and started a new business. She and our other sister, Lynn, now create and sell beautiful personalized jewelry in platinum, gold, silver and other metals. If you are in the market for a truly special piece of fine jewelry, checkout Sorella Jewelry Studio.
