Original Watercolor Painting, “Plein Air, 8-9:30pm, Rain on Peet’s Hill, 3 of 6, 7.22.26”, watercolor on paper, 11 x 14”, 2026.

This piece was made outside from life as part of Plein Air Montana 2026, in Bozeman, MT.  It was raining that evening on Peet’s Hill, and it shows in the work, the spray from the sky visible on the piece itself.  I was working under a giant tent, but close enough to the edge and the downpour to feel its effects.  I love what happens atmospherically during rain, especially rain as a screen between the sunset colors and the viewer.  Here we are looking at a distant range to the North of Bozeman, the pinks and blues of the sunset visible through the muting effect of water suspended in air between.  Some blue sky is even visible between the cloud layers, the greenish light blue above the peach band of cloud.  This was a very good afternoon and evening of painting for me, as I worked on six pieces, using drying time or changing conditions to work on more than one piece at a time, either sequentially or concurrently.  I love Montana, I love Bozeman, and it was an honor to be included in the 2026 Plein Air Montana event hosted by the Bozeman Art Museum.

This painting ships unframed to anywhere in the USA.  For international shipping, please reach out to david@DavidOSmithArtist.com to coordinate.