My plein air group PAPO (Plein Air Painters of the Ozarks) was invited to the garden party that Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. They wanted it to be an educational experience for visitors so can learn how artists take in the outdoors. They even provided the guests watercolor supplies! CLICK ON IMAGES TO SEE BIGGER VERSION
My thumbnail sketches
Something I am training myself to do more often is to draw thumbnail sketches of my composition. I don't know if I actually enjoy doing it but I seem to sell most pieces that I take time to do it for lol
drawing
Then while keeping an eye on both the subject and my chosen thumbnail composition, I draw. I have double vision problem so when I feel intimidated by all the details of a landscape, I use modified contour drawing method.
Painting begins
I build up the painting from light to dark which gives me option to change things as as I go and slowly enrich the colors. Note on the upper part of photo, a guest was painting along with me. She's a jeweler and we had a nice chat while painting :)
Finished in Bentonville!
On my way home I saw bicyclists posing in front of this wall for photo so I thought I'd get my shot too :D
This evening, Friday, November 20, a plein air group I belong to PAPO (Plein Air Painters of the Ozark) is having artist reception at the Visit Bentonville which is in Downtown Bentonville, Arkansas.
Please click to play video ~
"En plein air (French pronunciation) or plein air painting, is a phrase borrowed from the French equivalent meaning "open (in full) air". " ~ Wikipedia
They tend to be smaller paintings.... 4"x6" - to whatever size the artist chooses. Common sizes are 4x6, 6x8, 8x10, etc. The tradition is the artists paint as much as they can while at the location and call it good. Some use the paintings as studies for a bigger paintings they plan to produce in their studio with the help perhaps of some photos they took. I often paint on location, take photos, and finish the piece in my studio. I also occasionally embellish my final results by adding people, etc. A local artist I highly respect made a statement I can't forget. Fred Betz declared that "Every landscape needs something that poops!" Since that time it's been very difficult for me to leave a landscape painting without adding something two-legged or 4-legged!
Some of the paintings at the PAPO show 2015
Plein air pieces I tackle are fairly manageable sizes so I usually go ahead and frame them myself, mostly to save on expenses. It's not because I take joy in handling a whole different set of tools from my paint brushes to hammer and electrical things at all, since I am extremely bad with measuring and numbers and I am always in danger of damaging the painting because I am mostly working with one arm! Those wires in the back don't ever satisfy me at all because they're never as tight as I'd like them to be. Still I'm definitely grateful that I can do it at all and as I said, to cut back on expenses and keep the prices more reasonable.
So I thought I'd go ahead and create short video of what it takes to prepare for this art show. I'm sure fellow artists would say it's still a very limited depiction of what we had to do. For instance, it took a couple hours designing the installation; moving the paintings all over with people climbing up and down the ladder. This was all before the title cards were organized with great precision and exhibit statement was written up. I must say the group did a mighty fine job to get us ready for the curtain call!
I hosted the first paint out with PAPO (Plein Air Painters of the Ozark) this year. We had it at Downtown Bentonville. It was so spring fresh with bright green leaves on the trees and grounds and the tulips in multiple colors all over the square!
I decided to capture the monument and fountain which was full of tulips and the courthouse in the background.
Karolyn Ferrell and Erika Nelson photo by Cindy Ho
There are more photos from the event at this link PAPO At lunch I decided not to join the group for lunch and headed home because I wasn't feeling well and the weather changing to the forecast-ed stormy afternoon.
This is how my painting evolved with final version as farmer's market shown on top of my palette above.
Underpainting of my piece
Erika Nelson's original plein air piece April 8, 2015
But I decided it needed to look like how I most enjoy the square - with the farmer's market going on, on a Saturday morning, with vendors and people and performers around it. We all had a great day!
I finally painted today. Showed up at plein air painting event at 8:30 despite the stormy situation. My friend Shirley and I did elect to paint indoors since the winds were so strong a neighbor's tree snapped off the ground. It's not REALLY plein air I suppose, but it's painting and it's from life. So I figured it wasn't a bad way to start a 3-day event of painting as long as I was actually painting. Well here's my result. I wasn't sure how I could make a 6x18 format work but I wanted to challenge myself that it wasn't going to be a gladiola painting or something floral and vertical LOL! Well there ya go, about 2 hrs and 15 minutes of painting. I considered painting another, but the weekend would give more painting opportunities so I had to try and distribute my stamina like a good soldier. The sun was out for about an hour so I'm glad we had a cozy set up indoors.
"Fallen Pine (after Richard Schmid)" 8x10 oil canvas
I signed up for an online course with Katie Swatland who is offering lessons from her mentor, the master Richard Schmid. This is after all the closest I've ever get to receiving direct contact or teachings from Schmid I'll ever get! This is the first lesson - above is my study from his original piece entitled "Fallen Pine". I'm liking it so far!
"Dappled" 9x12 oil on canvas
Feeling good about the lesson, I thought I'd do a "plein air" painting yesterday as I worked in the comforts of my air-conditioned art room, I painted my gazebo.... both as I see it in the future and as I looked at it lol My good neighbor gave me the arch from their yard which I gladly accepted because of this vision I have. If I can figure out a twining perennial vine with bright red colorful blooms I'd be in great shape! Any suggestions?
Well I'm disappointed in my little exploration here though. I painted the piece in my usual too complete and tight manner plus I sort of Kincaidized it (made it pretty). Perhaps it would help if I just painted what was actually in front of me and I could have just concentrated on shapes and lights.
At least I painted! And that in itself is big victory, right?
I've been missing from view because I've been modeling for Charles Reid and his workshop! It's been such a blast to meet this world-renowned gifted artist who happens to be very down to earth and just a real accommodating and nice man! His wife Judy has been with us daily as well which makes the atmosphere very relaxed and family oriented.
I've modeled for a couple days and now finally painting with the class so I've been busy catching up with the rest and just really letting myself soak it all up. Charles Reid is up there with my ultimate favorite contemporary artists along with Richard Schmid! And after that it's John Singer Sargent, Winslow Homer, Eakins, etc. So that's dang good!
Charles took us out for some plein air painting in one of our local squares. But rather than paint buildings I decided to paint Charles Reid instead lol How many times will I be able to say I painted him in.
I totally owe this great opportunity to my friends Vicki Lou aka RED and husband Randy- they are the rock stars who hosted this successful workshop !!! Vicki saw me painting Charles so when he donned his sweatshirt she hollered to him to take it off because he was ruining my painting - and HE DID! LOL!!!! Well did I tell you he's an awesome guy? He also got a kick out of my painting and said I caught him. He said many artists have painted him while he worked so he knows exactly how he looked in action. Well as you can imagine I was simply melting. He asked me not to change anything :) My portrait he did as demo is nothing short of awesome of course! All I can say is, it's a true honor. I wish I could afford the price tag but having modeled for him is a major thrill too. I think the portrait will definitely sell when they exhibit them for sale tomorrow!
I'll be back once I've caught my breath - until then stay artsy! ;)
Now that's I've finished my charts, I was just itching to use them with for a plein air painting. The charts worked nicely, I saved time trying to figure out the right mixture. And what I like about Richard Schmid's chart is that the colors glow. I know this because when I painted the next piece "Copper Warmth" 8x10 oil on canvas panel (shown here finally scanned). I started out mixing my own take on the still life set up. Then just for kicks I thought I'd borrow dear friend Linda Cassady's Schmid charts. My colors literraly paled and fell asleep in comparison! At that very point I decided I'd have to buckle down and tackle the charts. Actually to my surprise I feel I have a better understanding of the charts and I'd like to create another set. It's not so much because I plan to be completely dependent on them, but more to educate myself and especially my eyes more.
I can't tell you how excited I was about painting en plein air. I enjoy the explosion of information that's before me which is mostly absent from photos. And I think it's good exercise to be decisive I can sharpen my instincts.
Much to my husband's chagrin I brought this old TV cart home from a neighbor's trash last Tuesday. Apparently he drove by the pile and was thanking his lucky stars that it didn't look like I'd find something to bring home. Welllllll as he was pulling in the driveway that evening he saw the cart immediately HAHAHAH! Glad to know I can still surprise him :) But look it was soooo handy for my painting session! And I bet he also loved all the tracks I left on his perfect lawn that morning when I was furiously looking for a good spot to paint. This photo reminds me of Smokey Robinson's song "Tracks of my Tears". Actually composers Robinson, Moore,Tarplin originally were writing the song inspired by me; it was meant to be called "Tracks of my Wheels". And if you believe that, there's also a bridge I want to sell ya!
