Tiny plein airs

I ran out of my normal size boards and so did the art store, so I grabbed about 10 5"x7" boards to try out. I have seen people paint at this size but could never see myself do it, because I thought I would have to be incredibly detailed to get the painting to work. After trying out a few, to my surprise, they helped me to be more loose. I used a pretty big flat to block in the sky, hills and water, and since the size was so small I did not need to add additional details to make the painting read. Simple shapes with the correct drawing and values made the painting work.

Lone birch sketch - oil on panel - 5" x 7"

I did a couple more today, just as fun. I just put the pochade box on my laps and go.

View from the library sketch - oil on panel - 5" x 7"

Trees at Penzance sketch - oil on panel - 5" x 7"

The small size is also great for capturing the faster moving lights. It takes less time to cover, and less detail necessary to properly use the surface. There is also less investment you put in compared to a larger work, so if the light really moved too fast to capture you don't feel like you have wasted a lot of time. I hope to translate some of the experience to my larger work.