A Ligonier Barn

As a #pennsylvaniaartist, I stood in the farm store for fresh meat and eggs; outside the cold air was fragrant with cow manure. Linda, co-owner of the store informed me the farm is not a dairy one, as I bragged about milking a cow once, not being the complete city slicker. She pointed me in the direction of the easy way getting up the steep hill in the field.

I had my green @llbean chair slung over my shoulder, my blue hiking pack over the other with snacks and water for my delayed lunch (3:30 PM), a thermos each for painting and drinking, several tubes of acrylic paint, an assortment of brushes, and acrylic paper, sized 12 x 12, (30.48 x 30.48 cm) in my hands while wearing hiking boots and warm sweater and thick wind jack over that, thick hiking leggings, wool socks, gloves and hat. I waddled up the hill carrying everything, the wind almost knocking me over.

I climbed in a zigzag fashion up the side of the steep grassy hill below the winter corn stalk field. The day before it was 72 degrees (22 degrees Celsius), sunny and windy. This day of painting, "A Ligionier Barn," occasional snow flakes came down. As I finally settled in my green chair overlooking the barn and the trees blowing behind it, I saw green and yellow fields of grain. Suddenly I realized the colors I wanted for the barn were way back down back in the trunk of the car and it wasn't close by. I made do with what I had knowing light has an effect on a white roof when the light starts to fade. I had 90 minutes until delivering everything back to the museum for the paint sale the next day. This experience was my painting marathon of letting go.

Thank you for joining me on my painting journey.

Amanda Xx