A Painterly Landscape Oil Painting

"Tall Grass Prairie Trail"

18" x 14"

oil on gessoed Arches watercolor paper

Last year, DH and I took an RV trip to the Flint Hills region of Kansas.  Among the many places we stopped to visit was this lovely place where the Tall Grass Prairie Museum is located.  We hiked the long trail -I never believed there could be such scenic spots in Kansas, but here you see one. 

This painting was an experiment for me. I had read that oil painters use gessoed watercolor paper. It was suggested that the paper receive 3 coats of gesso.  I patiently did so last Friday and have been ardently studying my notes from classes and books as I have on painting the landscape.  I also did something I never do when I paint and that was premix the main colors, which involved using Adobe Kuler, uploading the photo, making palettes of colors, including some interesting versions of complementary colors to use.  There was an unbelievable amount of shades and hues of green in my photo.  I had to simplify the color.  I keep trying to improve myself in this genre...as it appeals to me. There are so many places I want to paint. 

At this stage, it had to be photographed (I think it is finished, but not sure)...I used a very vivid undertone on the large paper of red and blue.  The painting surface was all strung out across the edges that I would sooner or later crop down to.  Needed to see what it would look like at the finished cropped size.  You are seeing it too!  The only thing I don't like, is maybe it has to be matted and put behind glass. I tried to adhere it to board before starting but in my anxiousness to get started, I don't think it attached too well, and when I remove the tape that is helping to hold it to a stiff board on the easel, I will have a paper that is painted with oil. 

 More research or maybe a reader here has the answer or suggestion?