The Drying Rack, or third in a series at Washington ParkT

The Drying Rack, 11x14, oil on canvas

My third trip out for Denver Plein Air was last weekend. After doing the egrets and a bit of garden, I went back to birds. The Cormorants are another staple of bird life in our park. They are a prehistoric looking bird and just fun to watch. I am not sure if this device was built for them, but they use it to dry off, preen and just sit. If you do not know the Cormorant, they are diving birds and they are shaped like a torpedo for that reason. I thought this scene had such fun shapes and I enjoyed painting this very much. I had to go out early to beat the heat of the sun as I had to stand out in the open to get the view I wanted. An interesting side note is that this is near the main parking lot off or Downing and Exposition, so I was in a high traffic area. Five or so people stopped over the two mornings I was out; One recognized me for the previous morning when I was painting in the garden area, and asked about that painting; One wanted me to join a nature group! and the other three were all eastern European. I have not been out painting plein air for almost 2 years and I had forgotten not only how much fun it can be, but how much I enjoying chatting with people who appreciate art.