July 3 in Grafton with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra

(C) 2017 Dale DiMauro

My wife, mom, and I spent the evening of July 3 attending the Vermont Symphony Orchestra's pops concert in Grafton, VT. The day had been hot, but the weather ended up being quite pleasant as we stayed out of the sun the entire time. After eating the dinner we brought (and my wife consuming our neighbors' surplus), I did some plein air painting. 

As far as subject matter, I wasn't sure what I should focus on. The light was changing fast, and all the people gathered in the field were constantly on the move. The bugs could have been a real challenge, but they were not a nuisance, or even really noticeable.

I settled on the distant fields and woodland edge where the sun was still present. This can be seen in the above photograph. After I started, and particularly during the intermission, a trickle of onlookers developed around me. Some were artists themselves and others just wanted to see what I was up to. One person asked if I was going to sell the picture. My wife even handed out business cards. 

However, I must admit, I was eager to finish the picture before engaging in any peripheral conversations. The light was fading fast. The paint was not drying as quickly as I would like as there was some moisture in the air accumulating into dew. I learn something every time I work with watercolor.