Lanterns and Light

"Barn Dance" - oil, 6"x8"

While painting out at a wonderful old farm in Staunton, Cobble Hill, with Ron Boehmer's class, I found these wonderful lanterns hanging in an old barn.  It looks like a place that they hold parties now and then, with the lanterns, which have electric lights in them, and odd little things sitting around inside this old barn.  I was captivated by the scene when I turned on the lights.

I had been painting outside, which I will post on another day, when it got darker and darker and a storm rolled in.  Everyone scurried to find cover in one of the old barns, gazebos, or where ever.  I had planned with this scene of lanterns to just sit down and sketch them.  But then decided to have a go at a small oil sketch.  I got a little lost with the beams, which Ron helped me out on.  I am going to go wild this coming week, by taking a large, 32"x40" canvas to paint this same scene, on-site.  I already have the canvas toned a rich, very dark, brown.  I want to be able to catch the luminous quality of the lanterns, against the very dark of the old barn.  Should be fun!