Plein Air - Harvest Moon Flower Farm

© Robin Edmundson, 'Greenhouses - Harvest Moon Farm', watercolor, 9 x 12 inches. 
Framed to 11 x 14 inches.  $280.

This has been a good year for plein air painting for me.  I don't get out a lot, but when I do, I have a lot of fun and learn a lot as well. 

The trickiest part about plein air painting is the light.  Of course.  It moves.  Plus, the heat dries the paint really fast.  I find that I can get a good basic draft done on site, but have to finesse the darks back in the studio, to get the light effect I'm after. 

These greenhouses are at Harvest Moon Farm - a lovely place!   I took Claire with me that day and we had just enough time to get done as the shade moved and we were baking in the sun.   That's when it's time to stop. 

Small Wood Sunflower

Beginning in late July, we see these pop up in the woods.   They're taller than black eyed Susans and they have a yellow center instead of a brown one.   They're long and loose and lanky and love the woods.  They are definitely a moist shade loving plant.



They are the Small Wood Sunflower.   It is indeed ironic that a shade plant would be called sunflower, but there you have it.  They are Helianthus microcephalus.  

On this one is a little metallic green bee in the Halictinae genus - same one as the sweat bee.   I thought it was pretty.