I was out and about on Friday, on what might be described as a perfect autumn evening, when I saw the City of Albany lit up by the light of the setting sun streaming between Mt Melville and Mt Clarence.

I threw my easel up, grabbed a primed board and went to work with some ultramarine, cadmium scarlet, cadmium yellow light and a little too much solvent.

I had about five minutes of good light, then about five minutes of not so good light and another five minutes of not really light at all.

I got this…

City of Albany fast plein air oil sketch by Andy Dophin
 (City of Albany evening. Plein air sketch. 30x20cm oil on board. © Andy Dolphin)

Here’s a close-up of the sunlit “houses”…

Close-up detail. City of Albany plein air oil painting by Andy Dophin