Four Sheep - painting a day

"Four Sheep" oil on canvas, 5x7". SOLD

This is painting number 11 in my painting a day quest. I love painting the late afternoon light, but it changes so quickly that it's a real challenge. The sheep were the original focus of the painting, and I started with many more sheep, but kept simplifying the foreground until all I had left were the four little sheep in the distance. The rancher, who must have been in his 70's, came out to say hello and find out why I was parked in front of his field. After I explained what I was doing he told me that he used to do cartoons in high school, and invited me to go on into the field for a better view of the sheep. Perhaps next time I'll focus on the sheep instead of the trees and shadows.