Painting on the Road: Ronda, Spain

Canopy of trees made wispy shadows

Ronda, Spain, is one of the pueblas blancas (white villages) with Moorish roots built along cliffs for strategic defense advantages. The scenery in Ronda is especially spectacular. One day while my husband hiked I stayed behind to paint. There were so many views to choose from! Most of the wide vistas felt overwhelming to me, so I chose the more intimate setting of the lovely Alameda del Tajo park established in the 19th c. A musician was playing her dulcimer as tourists and residents strolled, lingered on park benches, and chatted with friends. Chirping and fluttering birds along with the scent of wisteria, orange blossoms and jasmine were carried on a warm breeze. When working en plein air I generally work for about 3-4 hours and get two paintings started, taking a few photos of my scene as I go along. This allows me to catch the light on my subject and finish the painting in my studio if it continues to interest me. I don't necessarily want to replicate exactly what I see (I have the photograph to show me "reality"), but I do want to capture what interested me about what I saw or my feelings or memories about the day or the place. On this particular day I was thinking about light and shadow and pink blossoms. And I was feeling very, very happy.

Ronda, Spain

Ronda, Spain

Ronda, Spain

Ronda, Spain