The Plein Air Process
Plein Air painting is the process of painting on site in natural light. It conveys the transitory properties of a setting, primarily through lighting effects and the suggested movement of vegetation and cloud patterns. It is the depiction of a moment, painted in pace with the changing qualities of the scene. It calls for thorough preparation in advance, and spontaneity on site.
I choose locations based on season, time of day, type of sky - but primarily those places where I sense the richness of the natural world. I work quickly, laying in my composition as the sun arcs. Using color to shape forms, I advance my composition to the point where I apply the final strokes of light that will mark my painting...and that moment.
Watch Rock Park, Old Lyme
SHOW THUMBNAILS
Supplies...Paper choices, a box of color, food, drink, and bug spray.
Never paint alone in a remote setting..
Settle in. Get a feel for the place. A quick sketch in charcoal comes first.
Colors are applied quickly and diffusely.
Shapes are formed by the overlapping of colors.
Box of possibilities.
The composition advances as the sunlight becomes more dramatic.
Reflections are changing fast! Time to throw light on the focal points.
Tide is changing oo.
The tide is changing too.
Everybody's a critic.
Simple lines.This one is about subtle colors.
Blocking in the remarkable sky, skimming on thin, overlapping layers.
Vital equipment.
Color blocked in. Time to access.
Overlapping strokes of color form shapes, and give pastels their translucent quality..
Body and soul.