Wakarusa sunset

On a warm fall day when the sun has begun setting well before 6 pm I was on my bike trying to get home before the sky completely darkened. I am not prepared to ride a bicycle in the dark.  But I had asked for it, stopping too often to sketch or chase a hawk over the bottoms with my binoculars. These can be very peaceful rides, with almost no traffic especially if it is a weekend, and because it had been a spell since I'd ridden, I was enjoying it a bunch. This painting was not done on the spot, nor from a sketch that day, but rather by memory from the image in my head when I returned home. Though probably not very true to the scene, such pieces are a great exercise in recall of color and impression. They are also great at forcing some spontaneity in the approach and execution of the painting.  More info than you had asked for I know...  
Done on a scrap of 140# Canson paper approximately 5 1/2" x 13 1/2"