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 The painting pictured here was one I painted in the studio as I have learned through my years of painting on location what subjects and times of day work for me to paint en plein air and which I'd rather tackle in the studio.

One Fall afternoon as the day was nearing its end, I headed over to the Hudson and this particular area in Sleepy Hollow. I had become familiar with it by chance months before when invited to visit a family who wanted to commission me to do a dog portrait. I was hoping to see something interesting because I've learned from my many plein air expeditions that the skies can be very beautiful as seen from anywhere along the East Bank of the Hudson near the end of the day. However, it's not always easy to find areas where there's a place to walk or see the scene without impediment. This was such a place. 

The combination of drinking in the scene, mentally noting the colors I'm seeing, and taking photos with a good digital camera helps me to capture an elusive time of day that doesn't give me time to paint it on location nor to do justice to the nuances I see in the clouds. For me, scenes like this need to be worked on over time in the studio, where I can paint in layers and wait for areas to dry in between sessions.