I have always loved nocturnes, so it was a real thrill to paint one under a full moon in a beautiful French country village. This little painting was done right in the neighborhood of our home base at Le Vieux Couvent:
“Le Nocturne Francais”
Oil on Multimedia Artboard, 6×8″
Click here or on the image for more info.
This painting came about one evening after a full day of touring and painting in the Dordogne countryside, AND after a huge and delicious five course dinner. We were all winding down for the night and Mary, our fearless leader, came in from an after dinner walk she had taken with her husband. They had gone out to find a lovely evening scene just up the street, lit by a street lamp and a full moon. She was going to go painting, she said, and anyone who wanted to join her was also welcome. Well, as tired as I was, I couldn’t resist, and neither could most of the other painters. “We’re in France! We can sleep later,” became the mantra of our time together.
Knowing how quickly things change in the night sky, I took a small surface with me and set up under a nearby streetlamp. While the fog painting posted earlier was a high-key close value painting, this was a close value low-key one. We really couldn’t see our colors at all, so it is indeed a good practice to place paint colors habitually in the same positions on the palette!
Gradually my eyes adjusted somewhat, so I just concentrated on shape and subtle differences. After I got the large dark shapes down, the night sky and the window light were the first things I addressed. It was a good thing, as not very long after, the clouds had drifted completely away, and the homeowner had called it a night and turned off the light.
Jennifer
Young; Vibrant LandscapesOil Paintings and Art Prints Online
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I really like the style of this with the soft house. I like the night thing. Nocturne. You painted this without much light to paint by. now that’s painting technique. I am glad your out there creating paintings like this.
Jennifer, I really love this painting. It is one that I could look at over & over. I like the way the blue moves from the sky & is in the foreground too. Really lovely. amy
I’m entranced and inspired. Here in Oklahoma a storm just passed and the moon is out. I’m grabbing my easel and heading out to paint. Thanks for the inspiration from afar.
Thanks for the encouragement y’all!
It was a lot of fun because I really had no idea what the colors would look like until I got inside. I told the group that maybe we should up the ante next time by painting blindfolded 
It helped to limit the palette too. I’ll definitely give this nocturnal plein air thing a try again now that I’m back home. Heather- how’d it go?
It was a solid first attempt, but very difficult. I accidentally put out Pthalo Blue in Prussian Blue’s normal spot on my palette so my blues are off. Of course I couldn’t tell until I came back inside. But I had a blast and I’m up for another try. Did you mix your greens before going out, or did you do it on the spot? Perhaps if I’d done a little more prep before dashing out I would have had better success and avoided the Pthalo/Prussian mix-up.
Heather,
Congrats on getting out there and just doing it! I normally don’t premix greens as a practice because they can vary so much depending on the light, etc. But I definitely laid out my palette before I left. Since we had been plein air painting the whole week, it is possible I had a left over mixed green pile from earlier in the day. So maybe I used some of that? I can’t really remember, but since there is often no order to my “leftover” piles (I guess there should be), I’m not sure I would have used them because it was so hard to see what the colors were.
Jennifer,
It’s beyond my imagination of what it is like to paint outdoors at night! Your painting is so dreamy and such great color! I can’t believe that just happens. Must be a parlor trick or some kind of magic. I’m so impressed! If this was my painting I’d never sell it.!!!! Especially for the memories…..
I know, I know, I could just try it too!
Thank you Marilyn,
Well, I don’t think many of the locals had ever seen such a thing. A couple of neighbors came out to see what we were doing and were very sweet, but must have thought we were nuts. Yes–wonderful memories, but the painting is for sale. If it sells, I guess that just means I’ll have to go back and create some wonderful NEW memories.
That is fantastic! I’ve never even thought of painting plein air at night, nocturne, as you call it. I am definitely going to try it, though it looks very challenging.
Thanks Molly! It was fun and while it’s an incredible exercise, I should add…try this at home with caution. Wear a white or reflective shirt and stand under a streetlight if you’re anywhere near the road. The cars definitely aren’t expecting this kind of nuttiness in the darkness. Hehe. I guess the aunt in me has brought caution back to the forefront. I don’t want my brother yelling at me for suggesting such a crazy idea to his daughter. So here’s my disclaimer in black and white