This open view of a well-maintained polo field was remarkably beautiful, especially when seen in the early light of a cold winter’s morning. I had to paint it. Getting the sky to glow with the myriad colors I saw that morning was a challenge, and I worried that all my oil paint mixtures would turn to mud. Luckily they didn’t and I was able to paint the sky all at once. The dramatic sky needed strong land support, and its long shadows and the varied colors in the paths and flat area provided just that.