C E L E B R A T I N G
T E N
Y E A R S
( 2 0 1 1 - 2 0 2 1 )
PASTEL SPECIAL ISSUE August-September 2021 Volume 11, Issue 4
PROS’ VIEWS ON USING THE MEDIUM EN PLEIN AIR
CHRISTOPHER LEEPER, STEVEN WALKER, SHAWN DELL JOYCE, ROBIN PURCELL, SKIP WHITCOMB
M A G A Z I N E
SEPTEMBER 2021
JURIED SHOW AND EVENT ETIQUETTE
Plein Air Heritage
Swiss Landscape, c. 1830, oil on paper on canvas, 15 3/4 x 20 1/2 in., National Gallery of Art, Gift of Victoria and Roger Sant
A
devout Calvinist, Alexandre Calame (Swiss, 1810– 1864) saw the large-scale, dramatic Alpine scenes he was known for as expressions of the divine. At their core, however, the paintings demonstrate the artist’s deep natural connection to the land. As a committed member of the Düsseldorf school of painting, Calame advocated working en plein air. At his death, nearly 600 small paintings and studies never meant for public view were found in the artist’s studio. Among them, Swiss Landscape.
In this piece, Calame eschews the scenes of snow-capped peaks that dominate his oeuvre in favor of a quieter view of the landscape. Rather than forbidding and awe-inspiring, the effect is warm and inviting. A group of harvesters toil among the fields — a neat patchwork of greens and golds. The mountains and lake have been simplified into shapes of color, echoing the geometry of the landscape. Here, the artist does not celebrate the power of nature, but rather its quiet, subtle beauty bathed in a gentle light.
In “Plein Air Portfolio,” 26 contemporary painters give us their unique views on the countryside. www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
3
PUBLISHER B. Eric Rhoads • bericrhoads@gmail.com Twitter: @ericrhoads • Facebook: /ericrhoads ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Anne W. Brown • abrown@streamlinepublishing.com 435.772.0504 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Kelly Kane • kkane@streamlinepublishing.com MANAGING EDITOR Brida Connolly • bconnolly@streamlinepublishing.com 702.665.5283 CREATIVE DIRECTOR Alfonso Jones • alfonso.streamline@gmail.com • 561.655.8778 ART DIRECTOR Kenneth Whitney • kenneth.whitney@gmail.com EDITOR EMERITUS M. Stephen Doherty DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING Katie Reeves • kreeves@streamlinepublishing.com 919.673.8895 PROJECT & DIGITAL AD MANAGER Yvonne Van Wechel • yvanwechel@streamlinepublishing.com 602.810.3518 VENDOR AND CONVENTION MARKETING Sarah Webb • swebb@streamlinepublishing.com 630.445.9182 SENIOR MARKETING SPECIALISTS Dave Bernard • dbernard@streamlinepublishing.com 503.539.8706 Lauren Kettler Gold • lgold@streamlinepublishing.com 305.984.9972 Mary Green • mgreen@streamlinepublishing.com 508.230.9928 Gina Ward • gward@streamlinepublishing.com 920.743.2405 Plein Air Today Cherie Haas, Editor chaas@streamlinepublishing.com Subscriptions: 561.655.8778 or www.pleinairmagazine.com WEBSITES PleinAirMagazine.com • OutdoorPainter.com for artists PleinAirCollector.com for collectors
4
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
LISA SKELLY
This is the Day, 11 x 14, Pastel on Pastelbord
R e p re s e n tin g award - win n in g p le in air artists since 1998
H u s e S k e l l y G a l l e r y. c o m
|
310.418.7989
Jill Basham 331 SE Mizner Blvd. Boca Raton, FL 33432 Phone: 561.655.8778 • Fax: 561.655.6164 Chairman/Publisher/CEO B. Eric Rhoads bericrhoads@gmail.com Facebook: /ericrhoads • Twitter: @ericrhoads EVP/Chief Operating Officer Tom Elmo thomaselmo@gmail.com Production Director Nicolynn Kuper nkuper@streamlinepublishing.com Director of Finance Laura Iserman laura@streamlinepublishing.com Controller Jaime Osetek jaime@streamlinepublishing.com
Coastal Field Jill Basham 6x8”, oil on linen panel
Circulation Coordinator Sue Henry shenry@streamlinepublishing.com Customer Service Coordinator Jessica Smith jsmith@streamlinepublishing.coms Assistant to the Chairman Ali Cruickshank acruickshank@streamlinepublishing.com
Attention, retailers: If you would like to carry PleinAir Magazine in your store, please contact Tom Elmo at 561.655.8778. One-year, 6-issue subscription within the United States: $39.97 (two years, 12 issues, $59.97) One-year, 6-issue subscription, Canada and Europe: $76.97 (two years, 12 issues, $106.97) Copyright ©2021 Streamline Publishing, Inc. PleinAir Magazine is a trademark of Streamline Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. PleinAir Magazine (ISSN 2160-0694) is published 6 times annually by Streamline Publishing, Inc., 331 SE Mizner Blvd., Boca Raton, FL 33432, for $39.97 per year in U.S.A. (two years $59.97); Canadian and European subscriptions $76.97 for one year ($106.97 for two years). Periodicals postage paid at Boca Raton, FL (and additional mailing offices). POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: PleinAir Magazine, 331 SE Mizner Blvd., Boca Raton, FL 33432. Any reproduction of this publication, whole or in part, is prohibited without the express written consent of the publisher. Contact Streamline Publishing, Inc., at address below. All subscriptions, renewals, and changes of address should include address label from the most recent issue and be sent to the Circulation Department, PleinAir Magazine, 331 SE Mizner Blvd., Boca Raton, FL 33432. Copying done for other than personal or internal reference without the express permission of
jillbasham.com jillbasham2014@gmail.com Principle, Alexandria VA I Reinert, Charleston SC I Trippe, Easton MD Crown, Blowing Rock NC I Handwright, New Canaan CT 6
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
PleinAir Magazine is prohibited. Address requests for special permission to the Managing Editor. Reprints and back issues available upon request. Printed in the United States. Canada returns to be sent to Bleuchip International, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON, N6C 6B2.s
CONTENTS 3 Plein Air Heritage 10 Publisher’s Letter: Catching Up and Showing Up 12 Editor’s Note: Paint What You Know 85 PleinAir Salon 91 Plein Air Events 114 Postcards From the Road
COVER IMAGE: Sun and Clouds Lana Ballot 2019, pastel, 9 x 12 in. Private collection Plein air
30 ARTWISE
Art Show and Fair Etiquette
Country Roads
40 ROBIN PURCELL Making Sense of a Riot of Color: Learn how this
Blooming Where Planted: This artist and activist finds purpose in combining her love of the land and plein air painting, no matter where she calls home.
By Shawn Dell Joyce
66 STEPHEN WALKER
artist tackled the Carlsbad Flower Fields in a series of increasingly abstracted watercolors. By Kelly Kane
By Bob Bahr
A Penchant for Pastel: Karen Margulis, Marcia
74
Holmes, Lana Ballot, and Clive Tyler showcase the diversity possible using pastel en plein air.
The Song of Beautiful Structure: This revered
80 THE ELEMENTS
Cape Cod National Seashore Celebrates 60 Years: Jonathan McPhillips, Mary Giammarino, Rosalie By Kelly Kane
Colorado painter marries a passion for his subject with a love of process to create compelling compositions in both pastel and oil. By Jenn Rein
54 CHRISTOPHER LEEPER
DESTINATION INSPIRATION
Nadeau, and Joe McGurl share their unique viewpoints on this East Coast destination.
By Kelly Kane
48 SKIP WHITCOMB
Simple Pleasures With a Twist: To make nostalgic scenes even more compelling, this Georgia painter relies on simplification and the depiction of fleeting light effects.
42 SPECIAL FEATURE
By Daniel Grant
32 PLEIN AIR PORTFOLIO
62 SHAWN DELL JOYCE
First Things First: Follow along as this artist demonstrates how to start a painting off right, even when time is against you. By Lisa Mozzini-McDill
EXPANDED DIGITAL CONTENT
Augmented Reality: To more strongly present
Dawn to Dusk
what captivates his artistic mind, this Ohio painter isn’t afraid to edit or enhance a scene.
In a compelling new series that puts viewers at the heart of the gardens, English painter Lucy Marks captures the cycle of a day at Petworth House and Park.
By Bob Bahr
DIGITAL SUBSCRIBERS: Look for this icon to find additional images and stories. 8
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
plein air painting by Shaun Horne, “Slate River, June 2021” 44x44” oil on canvas
The Shaun Horne Gallery Represents Jay Moore / Ray Roberts / Don Sahli / Carolyn Lord / Gay Faulkenberry Bruce Gomez / Dawn Cohen / Shaun Horne
shaunhornegallery.com • 970.209.2550
publisher’s letter
I
CATCHING UP AND SHOWING UP
have visions of people timidly looking out their windows while painting indoors during COVID quarantines. Though I know many of you were able to get out, others needed to stay put and stay inside. There has been pent-up demand to get outside and paint, and I’m thrilled to see so many who have ventured out to events, paint-outs, shows, and openings to reconnect with followers, fans, friends, and fellow painters. And I suspect as things (hopefully) continue to open up, and as foreign travel becomes more available, we’ll all look for opportunities to get outside and paint even more. Clearly it’s time to catch up with friends we’ve not been able to hug or see in person, and to paint with our painting buddies. Because of COVID, one of my fears was the possibility that the plein air movement would lose some momentum because we were all stuck at home. Sadly, there were casualties, where some very hardworking people lost their galleries or saw their plein air shows close. Of course our hope is that some, if not all, can find a way to return. That’s where you and I come in. It’s never been more obvious that people make the world go round and that these shows, events, and businesses are totally reliant on our participation. When we disappear, they too have a chance of disappearing. When we appear, we make them strong. • Galleries need you to show up at shows. • Plein air events need you to show up to participate and possibly buy artworks. • Artists need you to support their in-person workshops. • Advertisers need you to respond to their ads.
In short, we all need to show up. I dare say it would be helpful if we all showed up even more than usual, so things can return to normal. And it’s our hope that you’ll support our virtual events — Pastel Live, Realism Live, PleinAir Live, and Watercolor Live, as well as our in-person 10
events like the upcoming Fall Color Week in the Adirondacks or the Paint! Russia art trip. From all the information I have, it’s looking like the Plein Air Convention & Expo in May in Santa Fe will be the biggest yet because we’re all eager to reconnect with friends, meet new people, and see top artists paint in person. We do have limited space, so you might consider booking now. Our plein air community has never been more wanted or needed than it is today. Do what you can to show up, to support, and to help others by spreading the word about events and shows. We got through this crisis together, and we’re still in this together — one family of plein air collectors and painters. I’ll see you out there!
B. ERIC RHOADS CHAIRMAN/PUBLISHER E-mail: bericrhoads@gmail.com Phone: 512.607.6423 Facebook: /ericrhoads Twitter: @ericrhoads
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
Eric Rhoads (on the right, standing ) paints with a group of old and new friends at the Publisher’s Invitational in the Adirondacks.
October 13 -17, 2021 In Alexandria, Louisiana
PleinAir Festival
Paint en plein air in the forested hills of Kisatchie National Forest and pastoral landscapes of Central Louisiana and celebrate with five days of food, fun and southern hospitality. farmtoforestpleinair.com
editor’s note
PAINT WHAT YOU KNOW
Y
ears ago, I was invited to join a panel for a discussion about art at the Florida Watercolor Society’s annual event. (Congratulations to them on their 50th anniversary this year!) Also on the panel were two distinguished artists — Dean Mitchell and Morten E. Solberg. As the Q&A was winding down, an attendee stood to express her frustration that paintings of dogs or flowers never win awards in art competitions. We suggested that perhaps she focus on pushing her own paintings to another level by thinking harder about what draws her to those subjects and focusing more succinctly on expressing those feelings or emotions. It was agreed that painting a wholly different subject from what she typically did simply for competition was a losing proposition. The old writer’s adage, “write what you know,” worked for artists too, we decided. I was reminded of this exchange as I read Bob Bahr’s article on Christopher Leeper in this issue. In it, Leeper offers this advice to developing painters: “Find the path that is really you. Find that inspiration that moves you to paint. If you want to paint horses, paint horses. Don’t listen to what the academics want you to do. Don’t worry what other people say. We
have access to so many things, and we hear so many voices. You must gravitate toward something that is you. If we are more honest with ourselves, it makes us better artists. Me, I love being in the woods and I love plein air. It’s who I am as an artist.” From Skip Whitcomb, and his devotion to painting his beloved Rocky Mountain West, to the painters who contributed to the story on Cape Cod, the artists featured in this issue seem to agree. Knowing a landscape as well as they know the back of their hands encourages them to push further, to see their subjects in new ways, to tap deeper into their feelings about a place, and to share their love of those scenes with us. It’s good to get out of your comfort zone now and again, but it pays to paint what you know. KELLY KANE Editor-in-Chief kelly@pleinairmagazine.com outdoorpainter.com facebook.com/pleinairmagazine twitter.com/pleinairmag instagram.com/pleinairmag
A THANK YOU AND A WELCOME PleinAir Magazine ushers in a new chapter as Associate Publisher Anne W. Brown retires this summer. Over the course of the past 10 years, Anne has participated in the inception of the Plein Air Convention & Expo, the creation of Streamline Publishing’s digital products, and the successful growth of the magazine despite the pandemic. “Anne Brown is a superstar,” says Eric Rhoads, publisher of PleinAir. “Though we hate to lose her to retirement, she will always be part of the Streamline family. She has helped us change so many lives over the years by helping artists, galleries, and organizations grow through our advertising. She will be deeply missed.” With Anne’s retirement, we welcome Katie Reeves as the new director of sales and marketing. She has been in the publishing business for 30 years, in both regional and national magazines. “We’re excited about Katie joining our team,” says Rhoads. “We conducted an extensive nationwide search for someone who had the quality, ethics, and experience that could be deployed to make sure our advertising and marketing team carry forward helping our advertisers with excellence. Katie is the perfect fit, and has deep-rooted experience in the advertising, publishing, and arts community.”
12
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
PLEIN AIR PAINTERS of the SOUTHEAST
JENNIFER SMITH ROGERS
LARRY MOORE
DAWN WHITELAW
PAM PADGETT
CANDY DAY
KEVIN MENCK
DAVID BOYD
LORYN BRAZIER
PAP-SE is Natalia Andreeva • Perry Austin • Greg Barnes • Stacy Barter David Boyd, Jr. • Scott Boyle • Loryn Brazier • Anne Blair Brown Roger Dale Brown • Kyle Buckland • Jim Carson • Katie Dobson Cundiff TJ Cunningham • Tony D’Amico • Candy Day • Dee Beard Dean Kim English • Mary Erickson • Beverly Ford Evans • Bill Farnsworth Trey Finney • Paula Frizbe • Mary Garrish • Marc Hanson Paula Holtzclaw • Mark Horton • Kathleen Hudson • Shannon Smith Hughes Christine Lashley • Andre Lucero • Beth Marchant • Stephanie Marzella Diane C. May • Kevin Menck • Larry Moore • Rich Nelson • Kathie Odom Richard Oversmith • Pam Padgett • Jennifer Smith Rogers Marilyn Simandle • Mary O. Smith • Dawn Whitelaw
KYLE BUCKLAND
Paint Out, Show & Sale Oct. 4-8, 2021
Leiper’s Creek Gallery
Leiper’s Fork, TN
www.PAP-SE.com follow us on Facebook and Instagram
TO ORDER: * www.JudsonsArt.com • 970-221-9044
• • • •
NEW multimedia sketching system! Personalize with optional accessories Carry everything you need in one hand SketchBuddy™ Binder - $39 95 Special!*
Ready to go at a moment’s notice. Linda, HI An excellent way of organizing mixed media. Liron, Tel Aviv
I’ve been using the SketchBuddy™ and loving it! Bill, OH
Love, love, love the SketchBuddy™! Pam, SC I love the compact size and the high-quality materials. Pam, IL
I am enjoying it immensely. Mike, PA Keep everything organized. Janis, HI
The SketchBuddy™ is the perfect size. Michelle, MO A great device for sketchers looking to travel light. Nishant, IL Thank you to Pamela Hamilton, Nishant Jain, Mark Leibowitz, William Mancuso, Mike Migone, Linda Mitchell, Michelle Spencer & Marilyn Troutman for these images!
OVER
$45,000
IN AWARDS
First & 59th, Nancie King Mertz, PSA-MP Bill Creevy Award for Pastel Innovation 2020
FORTY-NINTH ANNUAL PSA EXHIBITION
Enduring Brilliance! Opens Online September 7, 2021 View the Exhibition and Award Winners At pastelsocietyofamerica.org JURY OF SELECTION: Richard McKinley, PSA-MP, HFH Colette Odya Smith, PSA-MP Otto Stürcke, PSA-MP
JUROR OF AWARDS: Emily A. Beeny Curator of European Paintings Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
PASTEL SPOTLIGHT
Of all the media artists use to express themselves, none provides a more immediate, intimate response than pastel. Requiring nothing but a receptive surface, but adaptable to a variety of mixed-media techniques, pastel encourages creative exploration. On the pages that follow, we showcase a host of pastel artists whose work exemplifies the range and craftsmanship possible with this versatile medium. Enjoy!
NANCY LILLY
Round Rock, Texas Sentries to the Sunset, 20 x 30 in., pastel on archival panel Available through the artist nlilly@austin.rr.com 512.671.6363 www.nancylillyartist.com
MARTI WALKER
Sacramento, California Sunset O’er the Blue Ridge, 24 x 32 in., pastel Available through the artist marti@martiwalker.com | 916.224.5909 | www.martiwalker.com
JAMES K. VINCENT
Billings, Montana The Blackfoot Valley, 12 x 16 in., pastel on Uart paper Available through the artist artstudio@jameskvincent.com | www.jameskvincent.com Represented by Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, MT; Depot Gallery, Red Lodge, MT
JODY MARTIN
Kyle, Texas Silent Night, 17 x 24 in., pastel on Pastel Premier sanded paper jodymartinstudio@icloud.com www.jodymartinstudio.com
LORIE MERFELD-BATSON
CHRISTINE BODNAR
Marshfield, Massachusetts Sandy Neck Dunes, 18 x 17 in., pastel on Pastelmat mounted on gatorboard Available through Powers Gallery, Acton, MA cbodn59@yahoo.com | 617.835.1584 www.christinebodnar.com Represented by N.W. Barrett Gallery, Portsmouth, NH; Powers Gallery, Acton, MA; Tvedten Fine Art Gallery, Harbor Springs, MI
Westcliffe, Colorado Spring Symphony, 9 x 12 in., pastel on sanded paper Available through Brookwood Gallery, Westcliffe, CO batson3820@gmail.com | www.loriemerfeld-batson.com Represented by Brookwood Gallery, Westcliffe, CO; Heritage Fine Arts, Taos, NM; The Grapevine Gallery, Oklahoma City, OK
NANCY SILVIA
Santa Fe, New Mexico Galisteo Summer Storm, 24 x 36 in., pastel on textured board Available through 7 Arts Gallery, Santa Fe, NM n@nancysilvia.com | 505.231.2312 www.nancysilviastudio.com Represented by 7 Arts Gallery, Santa Fe, NM; Wilder Nightingale Fine Art, Taos, NM
KATE THAYER
Flat Rock, North Carolina Beginning Again, 20 x 16 in., pastel, watercolor & pastel medium Available through the artist katethayer46@gmail.com | www.katethayer.com Represented by The Gallery at Flat Rock, Flat Rock, NC; The Asheville Gallery of Art, Asheville, NC; Seven Sisters Gallery, Black Mountain, NC
MARY MONK
Abita Springs, Louisiana Good Morning Sugar!, 9 x 12 in, soft pastel Available through LeMieux Galleries, New Orleans, LA marymonk@bellsouth.net | 504.522.5988 www.marymonk.com Represented by LeMieux Galleries, New Orleans, LA; Rita Durio & Assoc. Interior Design, Lafayette, LA
JILL STEFANI WAGNER PSA-MP IAPS/MC Saline, Michigan Still Waters, 24 x 20 in., pastel on pastel board Available through the artist jill@jillwagnerart.com www.jillwagnerart.com Represented by J. Petter Galleries, Douglas, MI; Castle Gallery, Fort Wayne, IN; Fuller Art House, Sylvania, OH
TIMOTHY M. JOE
Huntsville, Alabama Warm Welcome, 20 x 16 in., soft pastels Available through the artist timothymjoe@gmail.com 256.655.2238 www.timothymjoe.com Represented by Gallery 905, Selma, AL
MARSHA HAMBY SAVAGE
Smyrna, Georgia Rising to the Sun, 20 x 16 in., pastel, plein air Available through Frameworks Gallery, Marietta, GA marsha@marshasavage.com 770.853.4696 www.marshasavage.com Represented by Frameworks Gallery, Marietta, GA; High Country Art Gallery, Blue Ridge, GA
SUSAN NICHOLAS GEPHART
Bellefonte, Pennsylvania Pathway to Light, 14 x 11 in., pastel on multimedia artboard Available through the artist snicholasart@gmail.com 814.360.2116 www.snicholasart.com Visit website for gallery representation
NANCIE KING MERTZ
Rockford, Illinois The Provider, 34 x 46 in., pastel Available through ArtDeTriumph, Rockford, IL nancie@nanciekingmertz.com 773.458.3205 www.nanciekingmertz.com Represented by Artful Framer Studios, Chicago, IL; ArtDeTriumph, Rockford, IL; Castle Gallery, Ft. Wayne, IN
LINDA MUTTI
Santa Barbara, California Stillness of the Evening, 12 x 16 in., pastel Available through the artist mutti4art@aol.com | www.lindamutti.com Represented by Santa Barbara Fine Art, Santa Barbara, CA; Park Street Gallery, Paso Robles, CA; Bronze, Silver & Gold Gallery, Cambria, CA
MICHAL BARKAI
PSNJ
Livingston, New Jersey A Warm Autumn Morning, Bear Brook, 12 x 9 in., pastel, plein air Available through the artist mbarkai1@comcast.net | 973.994.7449 www.michalbarkai.com Gallery inquiries welcome
SHAWN DELL JOYCE
Dunedin, Florida Racing the Storm, 24 x 36 in., pastel Available through Woodfield Fine Art, St. Petersburg, FL shawndelljoyce@gmail.com | 845.728.4001 www.shawndelljoyce.com Represented by Woodfield Fine Art, St. Petersburg, FL; Art Expo Gallery, St. Pete Beach, FL; Dunedin Fine Art Center, Dunedin, FL
GO INTO DETAIL Learn the secrets of realistic painting from leading artists… without leaving home!
“Bunker” by Mary Whyte
NOVEMBER 11-13, 2021
MORE + ARTISTS
TO BE ADDED SOON
Hosted by ERIC RHOADS and PETER TRIPPI
Attendance is limited! Sign up today at RealismLive.com PLATINUM SPONSORS
GOLD SPONSOR
MEDIA SPONSORS
CREATIVE CATALYST Catnip for Artists
CREATIVE CATALYST Catnip for Artists
www.crookedtree.org
CHRISTOPHER LEEPER Canfield, Ohio Fool in the Rain, 14 x 18 in., acrylic leepart@zoominternet.net | 330.718.0517 www.christopherleeper.com
PHIL FISHER Naples, FL The Bahle Barn, 18 x 24 in., watercolor 239.659.2787 | www.philfisherfineart.com Represented by Guess-Fisher Gallery, Naples, FL; Main Street Gallery, Leland, MI; Mackinac’s Little Gallery, Mackinac Island, MI
NATALIE GUESS Naples, FL Crayton Cove Charm, 14 x 11 in., batik on silk 239.659.2787 | www.natalieguess.com Represented by Guess-Fisher Gallery, Naples, FL; Main Street Gallery, Leland, MI; Mackinac’s Little Gallery, Mackinac Island, MI
ALAN LARKIN South Bend, Indiana Footbridge Over Trail Creek, 20 x 16 in., oil on linen panel alanjlarkin@gmail.com | www.alanlarkin.net Represented by The Brown County Art Gallery, Nashville, IN; Paradigm Gallery, Fort Wayne, IN; Crestwoods Gallery, Roanoke, IN
DEBRA JOY GROESSER Ralston, Nebraska Narada Lake Reverie, 14 x 18 in., oil on linen panel debra@debrajoygroesser.com | 402.592.6552 www.debrajoygroesser.com Represented by Illume Gallery of Fine Art, St. George, UT; Mary Williams Fine Arts, Boulder, CO; Montgomery Lee Fine Arts, Park City, UT
DAVID WESTERFIELD Allendale, Michigan Birch Above the Shore, 24 x 36 in., oil david@westerfieldstudio.com | www.westerfieldstudio.com Represented by Arbor Gallery, Glen Arbor, MI; Tvedten Fine Art, Harbor Springs, MI; Village Gallery, Lahaina, HI
GARY FRISK Richmond, Texas Midnight Sun, 16 x 20 in., oil on linen panel sgf322@sbcglobal.net | 832.524.8117 | www.garyfriskart.com Represented by Folger Galleries, Midland, TX
LINDA KLENCZAR Saline, Michigan Fence Row to the South, 12 x 9 in. plein air pastel on sanded paper lkstudio@lindaklenczar.com | www.lindaklenczar.com Represented by Gutman Gallery, Ann Arbor, MI; Primitive Images, Good Hart, MI Visit website for gallery representation
JILL STEFANI WAGNER PSA-MP IAPS/MC Saline, Michigan Toscana, 16 x 20 in., oil on linen jill@jillwagnerart.com | www.jillwagnerart.com Represented by Castle Gallery, Fort Wayne, IN; J. Petter Galleries, Douglas, MI; Fuller Art House, Sylvania, OH
ROBIN ROBERTS Ashland, Ohio 2020 Best of Show Recipient Creekbend, 12 x 12 in., oil on panel robin@robinrobertsfineart.com | 419.606.1620 www.robinrobertsfineart.com Represented by Hayley Gallery, New Albany, OH; Welsh Hills Inn Artisan Shop, Granville, OH Gallery inquiries welcome
MARY ANN DAVIS AIS Indianapolis, Indiana Garden Whites, 30 x 24 in., pastel ma@madavisart.com | 317.966.6538 | www.madavisart.com Represented by Castle Gallery, Fort Wayne, IN; Indiana Artisan Gallery, Carmel, IN; Brown County Art Guild, Nashville, IN
www.crookedtree.org
MARK MEHAFFEY Empire, Michigan Down the Road Again, 6 x 8 in., acrylic, plein air mehaffeyfineart@gmail.com www.markmehaffeyfineart.com Visit website for gallery representation
LYNN (DUNBAR) BAYUS Louisville, Kentucky Ellen’s Garden, 10 x 10 in., oil on board evster95@aol.com 502.905.5966 www.dunbar-art.com Gallery inquiries welcome
RICHARD SNEARY Kansas City, Missouri Courthouse, 12 x 16 in., watercolor richard@richardsneary.com | 816.665.4911 | www.richardsneary.com Represented by Art Gallery Prudencia, San Antonio, TX; Mary Williams Fine Art, Boulder, CO
SUSAN BUNCE RITTER Perrysburg, Ohio Hometown Alley, 12 x 16 in., oil on linen panel susanbunceritter@gmail.com www.susanbunceritterfineart.com Represented by Fuller Art House, Sylvania, OH
A DECADE of PLEIN AIR
A Decade of Plein Air Anniversaries are an opportunity to pause and — with the benefit of hindsight —reflect on where you started and how far you’ve come. Since PleinAir Magazine was relaunched in 2011, we’ve seen an explosion of interest in the joys and benefits of painting outdoors. As we look ahead to an even brighter future, we celebrate the past 10 years.
26
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
A DECADE of PLEIN AIR
Susan Hediger Matteson
Mary Williams Fine Art Boulder, CO
www.susanmatteson.com
Thank you PleinAir Magazine for 10 wonderful years and many more. Happy Anniversary!
Promise of Rain, 24 x 18, Oil on linen panel
Manon Sander NOAPS
Contemporary Impressionism Represented by: Arsenault Gallery Naples, FL Lost Art Gallery St. Augustine, FL Sea Spirit Gallery St. Augustine, FL The Village Art Studios Tequesta, FL Let’s connect by registering at ManonSander.com, and I’ll drop you an occasional note about new work, workshops and retreats. Follow my art adventures on Instagram @ManonSander. ManonDesigns@comcast.net
ManonSander.com
Thank you, PleinAir Magazine, for being an endless source of inspiration!
“The Right Angle”, 12 x 12”, oil and cold wax on linen Available at American Impressionist Society 22nd Annual National Juried Exhibition, Gallery 1516, Omaha, NE
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
27
A DECADE of PLEIN AIR
ALEXIA SCOTT
ELLEN HOWARD www.ellenhowardart.com
Turbulent Seas, 20x20, Oil on Linen Panel Them Falls Church, 6”x 6” Gouache, May 2021 “Congratulations on 10 years of inspiration and outdoor fun.” —Alexia AlexiaPaints.com AJ@alexiapaints.com
“Eight Takes: California Impressionism” at the Harrington Gallery September 11 – October 30 www.firehousearts.org Thank you PleinAir Magazine for 10 years of inspiration.
joli ayn wood plein air
studio
instruction
healing arts
Thank you, PleinAir Magazine, for inspiring me to Make It Count these last 10 years! Cheers to many more!
www.joliaynwood.com
Summer Artist-In-Residence Cedar Hill Farm 22 John Wise Ave, Essex, MA 01915 Studio Open Most Weekends Or By Appointment, 540.449.9078
28
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
“Luckenbach Texas,” Country Music History, 8”x10”, Oil
SUSAN NEESE SusanNeese.com
Lake Fine Art Academy & Galleria LakeFineArt.net 573-693-1750 Thanks so much for “10 YEARS” of inspiration!
A DECADE of PLEIN AIR
Thanks for 10 years of inspiration!
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
29
artwise
ART SHOW AND FAIR ETIQUETTE An expert shares his advice for managing eight sticky situations. ——— BY DANIEL GRANT ———
J
uried art shows and fairs have their own etiquette, and, like much of what passes for good manners, a lot of it is arbitrary. Does it really matter if you set the soup spoon to the right of the plate? The fact that there is no Emily Post-style standardization among the thousands of shows and fairs taking place annually around the United States means that artists must tailor their own sense of right and wrong to conform to the rules of this or that event. One rule on which there is general agreement, however, is that artists should not substitute another work for the piece that was submitted to an admissions jury. The desire to make a substitution may come about when an artist sells a juried piece before the show begins. Months pass between when artists apply to be in an event and when the event actually takes place, and not all collectors will allow the works they bought to be part of a show, putting the artist in a bind. Should they hold off on a sale, withdraw from the show, or see if the show sponsor will accept something else? It’s a real dilemma, but artwork is not interchangeable, and a work that is
submitted for an exhibition should be available. Sales may have to wait. Another point on which most would agree is that the same work should not be submitted to two or more shows taking place at the same time. If the artist’s work is accepted into more
Nathan Brandner from Green Bay, Wisconsin, paints under a jewelry shop awning during June’s Paint Cedarburg. (Photo by Robert M. Powell)
Richie Vios poses with the local couple who bought his painting Cedarburg Mill, which took third place at Paint Cedarburg.
30
than one show, it means another artist’s work was rejected, and the show sponsors may have to scramble to fill an empty space if you withdraw due to double booking. Even in cases where there is no overlap of shows, the work an artist submits can be a cause
In June, festival-goers gathered for the 32nd Annual Manayunk Arts Festival in Philadelphia. (Photo by J. Fusco)
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
Willard Watson III, Programs & Outreach Director of Blowing Rock Art & History Museum, paints outdoors to draw attention to the upcoming Blowing Rock Plein Air Festival in western North Carolina.
Former PleinAir Magazine editor-in-chief Steve Doherty was spotted in rural coastal Virginia at the Gloucester Arts Festival.
Monika Gupta won two awards in the novice category at Paint the Town: Alpharetta Plein Air.
of contention. For example, someone may choose to enter a favorite work in many shows over the course of a year or even several years, which will likely irritate other artists and show sponsors who are unhappy at seeing the same piece again and again. To encourage artists to submit new work, many show sponsors require all work submitted to have been created within the past two or three years, in part because they want their shows to have a different look every year for the public. Newness, of course, is not an artistic criterion, and the public does not travel the show circuit as artists do and are unlikely to see the work repeatedly. But good etiquette in the art world is often a mixture of principle and the assumed needs of the market. One issue an artist should never fudge on is the medium or mediums used. Some watercolor shows, for instance, accept acrylics and gouaches, even pen-and-ink drawings with a watercolor wash, while others are adamant about taking only transparent watercolors. The digital file an artist submits for a painting may be accepted by a judge or jury, but the actual artwork will be evaluated again when it is received for the event; if some opaque or white paint is discovered, the piece will be rejected. The rules may seem arbitrary, but those are the rules, and artists should not knowingly submit work that goes against a sponsor’s stated aim. While most show and fair sponsors earn their money from visitor admissions, concessions, and booth or entry fees, some also take a commission on sales occurring at the event. In some instances, collectors are required to purchase works through the show sponsor rather than through the artist,
but most shows rely on an honor system. The artist tells the sponsor what he or she sold and pays a commission (usually 10 or 20, sometimes 30 percent). Frequently, when a commission is charged, the sponsor is able to lower booth fees for artists or eliminate jurying fees. Moving the financial underpinnings of a show from up-front money (fees paid by artists) to money earned (through sales of artwork) requires more of the sponsor to promote the event and bring in likely buyers. This shift should be encouraged by honesty on the part of participating artists. A gray area in show etiquette may arise when a show or fair sponsor requires that participating artists donate a work, perhaps for an auction, a door prize, or for the sponsor’s permanent collection (when the sponsor is an art institution). But which work? Should a painter contribute a painting, a print, or even a sketch? Must the donation be representative of the artist’s best-known work or will any piece do? Often, the prospectus does not indicate what the donation should be, and artists are left with an ethical decision — give away the type of work that got them into the show or donate something small or inexpensive (or both). Probably, the latter option makes the most sense, especially if a donated piece is to be used as a door prize. Frequently, show sponsors require that artists put a price on work they are submitting for jurying. But if awards have been won, works sold, or rave reviews published by the time of the actual show, an artist may want a higher price. This change could be accommodated in a gallery situation but is likely to cause hardship to a show sponsor who has printed up hundreds or
thousands of brochures with prices noted in them. The Massachusetts-based Cambridge Art Association, for its part, informs artists that “prices/values submitted with artwork cannot change upon acceptance.” Ideally, show sponsors would not put artists in the position of losing money and scrap the pre-show pricing requirement. In lieu of that, artists should adhere to the prices originally set. Some shows also require that every work on display be for sale, which may be attractive to visitors but not to artists, who may not want to sell works with personal meaning to them, or for which they have a ready buyer (or may even have sold already). They also may want to have the piece available for another show. A not uncommon — and not technically ethical — solution for artists is to give the piece an overly high price ($10,000, for example, whereas it otherwise would go for $1,500) in order to discourage buyers and get around the not-for-sale problem. Other show sponsors set price limits for works on display, which again is appealing to visitors but can cause hardship for artists who could charge more at other shows. Placed in such ethical binds, artists must choose between irritating the sponsors or hurting their own career opportunities. Perhaps the best advice for artists is to read each show’s prospectus carefully, then determine a course of action based on the rules the sponsor has established. The simple solution: don’t enter shows and fairs that make unpalatable demands. DANIEL GRANT is the author of The Business of Being an Artist and other books published by Skyhorse Press.
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
31
plein air portfolio
Lind Farm Marc Anderson 2021, oil, 14 x 18 in. Available from artist Plein air
32
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
COUNTRY ROADS
T
he tree-lined twists and turns of narrow country lanes hold the promise of adventure and
discovery and, for some, the feeling of coming home. The 26 bucolic landscapes featured here leave us wondering what lies just over the hill or around the next bend.
Crossing Barbara Jaenicke 2014, oil, 8 x 10 in. Private collection Plein air
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
33
plein air portfolio
Birds on a Wire #2, Kami Mendlik, 2020, oil, 8 x 10 in., collection the artist, plein air
(ABOVE) Nuttin Better than Nuttalls, Russell Jewell, 2021, watercolor, 11 x 14 in., private collection, plein air • (BELOW) Approaching Fog, Brenda Boylan, 2013, pastel, 16 x 12 in., available from artist, plein air and studio • (RIGHT) On the Walk Home, Ted Matz, 2020, oil, 24 x 18 in., available from artist, plein air
34
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
Quiet Road, Susan Lynn, 2018, oil, 9 x 12 in., collection the artist, plein air “I made this piece while visiting Port Clyde, Maine, a few summers ago,” says Susan Lynn. “The turnoff to the road was just up the hill from the busy harbor. I loved how the late afternoon shadows cut across the pavement, framing the sunlit fence and hedge. The distant sounds of the boaters coming in at the end of the day made this hidden spot seem all the more peaceful.”
(TOP RIGHT) Water Under the Bridge , Danny Griego, 2017, oil, 8 x 10 in., private collection, plein air • (RIGHT) Ridge Trail Walk, Rick J. Delanty, 2019, oil, 12 x 16 in., private collection, plein air
Vermont Hamlet Mark Boedges 2016, oil, 12 x 20 in. Private collection Plein air
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
35
plein air portfolio Home Stretch John Caggiano 2020, oil, 8 x 16 in. Available from artist Plein air “Texas roads go on and on,” says John Caggiano. “This one, not far from San Angelo, meandered in a way that made it seem to go on for infinity.”
(ABOVE LEFT) Brookville, Carol Strock Wasson, 2020, pastel, 12 x 16 in., available from StrockWasson Studio and Gallery, plein air • (ABOVE) Yolo Solo, Philippe Gandiol, 2021, oil, 12 x 16 in., available from American Contemporary.Art, plein air • (LEFT) Bluebonnet Road, Julie Riker, 2017, oil, 9 x 12 in., available from artist, plein air
36
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
(TOP) Day at the Ranch, Jill Banks, 2017, oil, 12 x 24 in., private collection, plein air • (ABOVE LEFT) A Countryside Invitation, Cynthia Rosen, 2020, oil, 30 x 48 in., available from Helmholz Gallery, plein air and studio • (ABOVE RIGHT) West Texas Pumpjack Access Road, Gary Frisk, 2020, oil, 12 x 24 in., private collection, plein air and studio • (LEFT) Through the Oaks, Richard Sneary, 2021, watercolor, 10 x 14 in., available from artist, plein air
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
37
plein air portfolio
(CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE) Deep Creek Distancing, Kim Casebeer, 2020, oil, 9 x 12 in., available from SNW Gallery, plein air • Late Spring, Julie Davis, 2021, oil, 12 x 16 in., available from Gallery 300, Fredericksburg, TX, studio from plein air study • Take Me Home, Mary McIntosh, 2020, pastel, 14 x 11 in., available from artist, plein air • Take Airport Road, Linda Richichi, 2021, pastel, 12 x 16 in., available from 530 Burns Gallery, Sarasota, FL, plein air
38
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
Along Paintrock Highway, Tim Oliver, 2020, watercolor, 8 x 16 in., private collection, plein air
(LEFT) The Road to the Fields, Ray Hassard, 2019, pastel, 12 x 12 in., available from Cincinnati Art Galleries, Cincinnati, OH, plein air • (RIGHT) The Road Less Traveled, Shelby Keefe, 2021, oil, 12 x 9 in., private collection, plein air • (BELOW) Clouds’ Rest, Sharon Weaver, 2021, oil, 8 x 16 in., available from artist, plein air
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
39
Expanded Digital Edition Content
Centuries Old, Lori Putnam, 2020, oil, 24 x 30 in., available from 1225Gallery.com, studio from plein air studies
MidMorning Jill Stefani Wagner 2019, oil, 12 x 16 in., Available from Castle Gallery, Wayne, IN Plein air
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
King of the Hill, James Faecke, 2021, watercolor, 10 x 14 in., available from artist, plein air
Expanded Digital Edition Content
Big Grey Barn, , Jim Rehak, 2019, oil, 12 x 16 in., available from artist, plein air
The Backroad In, Jennifer Riefenberg, 2017, pastel, 8 x 8 in., available from artist, plein air
Where Shall This Take Us? Poppy Balser 2019, watercolor, 11 x 14 in. Available from artist Studio from plein air study
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
Expanded Digital Edition Content Church on Smith Island, Julie Riker, 2019, oil, 8 x 8 in., available from Les Poissons Gallery, Chestertown, MD, plein air
Spruce Creek Valley Vista, Jeanne McKinney, 2014, pastel, 18 x 24 in., private collection, plein air August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
The Path Seldom Taken, Marti Walker, 2014, pastel, 9 x 12 in., private collection, plein air
Expanded Digital Edition Content The Long Road, Brenda Pinnick, 2021, oil, 30 x 40 in., available from artist, studio from plein air study
April Showers, Sheryl Knight, 2021, oil, 18 x 24 in., available from Solvang Antique Art Gallery, studio from plein air study
Around the Corner David Boyd Jr. 2016, oil, 12 x 12 in. Private collection Plein air August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
ROBIN PURCELL
MAKING SENSE OF A RIOT OF COLOR Even for an artist known for glorious color, the Carlsbad Flower Fields proved a challenge. Learn how she tackled this tricky subject in a series of increasingly abstracted watercolors.
F
——— BY KELLY KANE ———
or a few weeks each spring, Mother Nature transforms the rolling hills of California’s North San Diego County into one of the most spectacular and coordinated displays of natural color and beauty anywhere in the world. With nearly 50 acres of Giant Tecolote ranunculus blooms, the Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch have helped usher in the season for more than 60 years. Hoping to capture the fleeting display in watercolor, California painter Robin Purcell had been stymied by gray skies three years in a row. Early this April, however, Santa Ana winds made the conditions perfect for her preferred way of working — low humidity and strong sunlight that would dry her shapes quickly. With the fields in full bloom, the artist completed three paintings in one week. “The main problem this subject presented was how to anchor the scene in reality and not have it dissolve into a gaudy display,” says Purcell. The tan furrows of the fields helped. So did the dotted lines of greenery, which she found gave the fields dimension. “They reminded me of stitches in a quilt,” she says. The flowers she likened to “ribbons of color across a shallow slope.” In quiet contrast to the blooms’ bright colors, she used soft cool and neutral colors for the hills and fog in the background. ROBIN PURCELL describes how she developed her unique style of painting this way: “I must have been permanently warped by doing paint by numbers as a child. Then I fell hard for the paintings of the early California Impressionists, particularly Granville Redmond and William Wendt, whose work helped me to see the landscape as shapes. In my own paintings, I simplify what I see and organize it into shimmering patches of color. Working outdoors with watercolor makes it much easier for me to control the hard edges that I need for this approach.” robinpurcellpaints.blogspot.com 40
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
Each piece in the series featured a different aspect of the fields, and they grew increasingly abstract as the week progressed. What started as an attempt to make the compositions more dynamic by painting the lines of blooms at a slight diagonal rather than in straight horizontal rows turned into an opportunity to explore an idea that had been born years before. “I went to an exhibition of Carmen Herrera’s work at the Whitney several years ago, and it stayed with me,” says Purcell. “Having seen the circles, flags, targets, and squares of her male contemporaries, I was taken by her explorations of what one shape and two colors could do. Looking for a way to convey the immense length of the flower fields, I was reminded of Herrera’s elongated triangles. In Color Fields, the last in the series, I stretched the painting format to 8 x 16 inches (a 1:2 ratio). The more I stretched the shapes, the more I got the feeling of depth I was looking for. It had taken years, but I finally found a way to use Herrera’s ideas successfully in a landscape painting. I may try a 1:2 1/2, 1:3, or even a 1:4 format in the future.”
A STUDY IN PERSISTENCE Part of a community of artists pushing the boundaries of painting and sculpture in Paris in the 1940s, Havana-born Carmen Herrera exhibited her work alongside that of Piet Mondrian and seemed destined for greatness. But while her male counterparts — Barnett Newman, Ellsworth Kelly, and Frank Stella — saw success with similar work, Herrera’s paintings of brightly colored geometric shapes went largely unnoticed for most of her career. She didn’t make her first painting sale until age 89. Then, at 101, Herrera finally got her due, when the Whitney Museum in New York staged “Lines of Sight,” an acclaimed exhibition of the artist’s works from 1948 to 1978. Five years later, she is still going strong, living and working in New York City, which she’s called home since the mid-50s. Just last year, she created a design for a 54-foot-wide mural titled Uno Dos Tres, a variation on the painting Diagonal, which she made in 1987 and consisted of concentric squares in alternating black and white lines. The mural went on view in Harlem at the Manhattan East School for Arts and Academics, whose students helped complete the project. Asked by ARTnews in 2015 where she gets ideas for her work, the artist said, “I have to have it in my head. I do a drawing, and then I figure it out. Once you think about it, it’s very easy.” Carmen Herrera’s work on display at the Whitney Museum in New York (photo by Robin Purcell)
(TOP) Carlsbad Flower Fields, 2021, watercolor, 8 x 8 in., available from artist, plein air • (ABOVE) Color Fields, 2021, watercolor, 8 x 16 in., available from artist, plein air • (LEFT) The Flower Fields, 2021, watercolor, 9 x 12 in., private collection, plein air
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
41
special feature
A PENCHANT FOR
PASTEL Forget what you think you know about the medium. Marcia Holmes, Clive Tyler, Karen Margulis, and Lana Ballot showcase the diversity possible using pastel en plein air. ——— BY KELLY KANE ———
MARCIA HOLMES
An Intuitive Approach
Pastel is such an easy “go to” medium for me. By layering color, I can achieve a graceful, subtle scene or an energetic expression of motion, focusing on atmospheric qualities or an emotional memory of a particular time and place. Pastel fits with my loose style. Because there’s no mixing of paint, pastel can be applied spontaneously. Even in the waning hours of light in France in the summertime, I can get in a quick sketch, grabbing the essence of what’s before me. Pastel is particularly well-suited to painting water lilies — one of my favorite subjects, as I can edit intuitively, skipping mentally across the water, reacting to the color of water reflections that speak the loudest, stroking the action of wind or rain, and following my instinct to portray motion throughout the entire painting. I want viewers of my work to experience a sense of peace as well as excitement, to feel that they are standing in my shoes, emotionally connecting and identifying with nature. My paintings have always had an abstract quality, constructed through careful layering of color. I begin with a mixed-media underpainting using some combination of watercolor, gouache, ink, or thinned oil with pastel. Since I learned about walnut ink, I almost always use it as part of the initial lay-in of my abstract concept or plein air experience. The ink provides a loose base with soft, fluid edges. With time, experience, and confidence, I now paint more intuitively, with no preconceived notion of the outcome. 42
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
Giverny in the Rain 2017, pastel, 12 x 12 in. Private collection Plein air
Giverny Water Lilies in Blue II 2017, pastel, 12 x 12 in. Private collection Plein air
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
43
special feature
CLIVE TYLER
An Experiment With Color
I paint my experience with nature, not a reproduction of a scene. I provide my interpretation of a landscape with a representational, impressionist point of view that I hope leaves the viewer wanting to step into the painting, peek around the corner, look up at the aspens, feel the temperature of the day, sense the time, and hear the sounds of leaves rustling or thunder from a distant storm. I use both broken color and layers of color to represent my subject matter. I want the painting to have a realistic feel from a distance and then as you get closer to have a more emotional and impressionistic quality. When viewed up close, it should reveal its abstract qualities. When I teach, I tell my students, “Create, don’t duplicate.” This helps them from chasing reality too much. In my work, I want to achieve a sense of place, time, and light. For me, subject matter comes second. I enjoy finding classic compositions that occur naturally outdoors and the problem-solving aspect of painting, where one color can change everything — the mood, the composition, and the harmony — for better or worse. Pastel is great for moving quickly and tapping into inspiration and emotion. It’s always an experiment with color. I’m not obligated to find a stick the exact color that I want; it takes two or more to create what I want to achieve. With pastel, I’m using my hands, feeling the strokes through my fingers. Outdoors, I can use the medium to get more work done. I think of plein air painting as my workshop or lesson for the day. Typically I will do four to six studies a day. I usually keep them as reference for studio work.
44
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
(TOP LEFT) Aspen Trunk Study, 2021, pastel, 6 x 8 in., collection the artist, plein air • (TOP RIGHT) Sunset Oak, 2013, pastel, 20 x 24 in., collection the artist, studio from plein air study • (ABOVE) Rio Grand Hillside, 2020, pastel, 8 x 10 in., collection the artist, plein air
KAREN MARGULIS
Expressive Mark-Making
(ABOVE) Seaside Delight, 2019, pastel, 5 x 5 in., available from artist, plein air • (TOP LEFT) Treasure by the Sea, 2019, pastel, 5 x 5 in., available from artist, plein air • (TOP RIGHT) Secret Marsh, 2019, pastel, 10 x 8 in., available from artist, plein air
When I started painting back in 2005, I wanted to have a more detailed realistic style. I wasn’t happy with the progress I was making, so I started a daily timed painting habit to improve my work. This practice allowed me to paint in a more uninhibited and efficient manner. My paintings became looser and more painterly. I embraced this newfound freedom and have never looked back. Being less concerned with detail has served me well for plein air studies in particular. In the field, I’m able to capture the essence of a scene quickly and efficiently. As I’ve gained experience, I’ve learned to slow down and be better aware of what I need to do to create more refined paintings in the studio. My goal is to tell a story with expressive mark-making and color. I prefer to suggest detail and leave some mystery, drawing from my memories and feelings about a subject rather than strictly copying what I see. I want to invite the viewer into my paintings and provide an interesting visual journey, allowing them to participate in the story. I’m drawn to painting nature — the more wild and unrestrained, the better. I love to paint wildflowers and wild tangles of grasses. Pastel allows me to easily build up complex layers of value and color. The diversity of pastel types and shapes helps me paint a wide variety of marks, from linear to wide whispers of color and thick impasto. I like to work quickly, starting with large simple passages of pastel and then laying down multiple layers of color, gradually refining the level of detail. Pastels are perfect for this way of working because I can easily change the type of marks I’m making by manipulating the sticks. I can also work with multiple layers without creating mud. Plus, I don’t have to take time to mix colors, set up painting mediums, or clean brushes — and I never have to wait for paint to dry. I just open my box of pastels and start painting.
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
45
special feature
LANA BALLOT
Intimacy of Drawing
Stony Brook Summer 2019, pastel, 7 x 8 1/2 in. Private collection, plein air and studio
I grew up in Russia, admiring Russian classical realist painters. Later I fell in love with the work of French Impressionists. I still have a passion for both, and I’m trying to find a balance between the two styles in my own work. Expressive color in my paintings is based on deep observation of subtle nuances of light and color in nature. Even though there is a certain logic in my color choices, my decisions are ultimately intuitive, based on whether my aim is to capture the light and feeling of a place, the time of day, or the season. Light is never the same; color is never the same. I try not to approach color with a preconceived idea about what it should be. I rely on what I see, particularly when I paint en plein air, and that often leads to bold and unexpected choices. I find that pastel encourages a more direct and spontaneous approach to color. Lately, I’m increasingly intrigued by achieving a sketchier and looser look. Pastel is a medium that spans both drawing and painting, and, to me, that makes it particularly beautiful and alive. Pastel works that speak to me the most have some of the spontaneity and intimacy of drawing; they reveal the presence of an artist in the scene. I want my paintings to have the same qualities. I do a lot of my current work in the studio, but when I first turned to landscape painting, I mostly worked on location. It’s not that I was a plein air purist, but that was the time just before the digital camera made taking good photos easier. And if I wanted to capture the true light and colors of a place, working from small printed photos with distorted colors was out of the question. Pastel happened to be just what I needed on location. I had to work fast, make quick decisions about color, and simplify. Painting en plein air with pastels enriched my color vocabulary, made me look closer at my subject, paint looser, and focus only on the essential elements in a scene. I also credit pastels for making me pay more attention to values; in this medium there’s no getting around it if I want to avoid muddy or chalky colors. Now I paint outdoors as much as my schedule allows, which helps me keep my color fresh. These days, I find that I prefer leaving the plein air work as it is, unfinished. The painting process changes so much from plein air to studio that it’s hard to finish the work on the same note. Most of my plein air pieces serve as reference for studio work, directly or just as color reference, but occasionally I do touch them up and get away with it. 46
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
Afternoon Wave Study 2019, pastel, 9 x 12 in. Private collection Plein air
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
47
Expanded Digital Edition Content
(CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) Giverny Water Lilies, Marcia Holmes, 2017, pastel, 9 x 12 in., private collection, plein air • Dune Surprise, Karen Margulis, 2021, pastel, 8 x 10 in., available from artist, studio from plein air study • Passing Storm, Karen Margulis, 2019, pastel, 8 x 10 in., available from artist, plein air • Summer Storm, Karen Margulis, 2019, pastel, 7 x 5 in., available from artist, plein air
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
Expanded Digital Edition Content
(TOP ROW L-R) Amalfi Sunrise, Lana Ballot, 2018, pastel, 9 x 12 in., available from artist, plein air and studio • Beach Buddies, Lana Ballot, 2018, pastel, 9 x 12 in., private collection, plein air • (MIDDLE ROW L-R) Geyser Afternoon, Clive Tyler, 2017, pastel, 6 x 8 in., collection the artist, plein air • Dixon View, Clive Tyler, 2018, pastel, 10 x 10 in., collection the artist, plein air
Sun and Clouds Lana Ballot 2019, pastel, 9 x 12 in. Private collection Plein air and studio
Nissequogue Sunset Lana Ballot 2018, pastel, 8 x 10 in. Private collection Plein air
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September
SKIP WHITCOMB
THE SONG OF BEAUTIFUL STRUCTURE This revered Colorado painter marries a passion for his subject with a love of process to create compelling compositions in both pastel and oil.
I
——— BY JENN REIN ———
n the deft hands of Skip Whitcomb, the dramatic topography of America’s Rocky Mountain West comes to life. Whether executed in oil or pastel, the work transports the viewer to the artist’s beloved outdoors, where seemingly it can be felt as well as seen. A graduate of California’s ArtCenter College of Design, Whitcomb has artistic roots deeply anchored in illustration. Degreed in this discipline, with painting coming in a close second as a field of interest, he returned to his native Colorado ready to work as a professional designer and draftsman. As he did so, he connected with Denver’s artist community. “All the while I was looking for freelance work, I thought I wanted to be a figure painter,” says Whitcomb. “I was told I should meet Ned Jacob. He was ‘the’ Denver artist of the time. He agreed to work with me and told me, ‘If you
do what I tell you to do, I will help you.’” The artist was given access to Jacob’s Denver studio and started building a practice that focused on nothing but figures for some time. Eventually, his mentor asserted that he belonged outside and that tackling landscape as a subject would be a natural progression for his art. Whitcomb laughs at his first outing. “I
SKIP WHITCOMB says, “Once you internalize the language of painting, you see the world differently. It never leaves you. The veil of rational order is lifted and what hangs in the air are sensations of painted possibilities. On good days, some would call it poetry.” skipwhitcomb.com 48
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
Dream Lake 2009, oil, 8 x 12 in. Private collection Plein air
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
49
Avalanche Chute Undated, oil, 10 x 8 in. Available from artist Plein air
didn’t understand what I was in for; I thought it would be easy. That first trip I took into the field humbled me. I was at her mercy,” he explains, referring to the subject that would aid in defining his career as an artist. Once Jacob handed him a copy of Carlson’s Guide to Landscape Painting, Whitcomb felt compelled to keep going.
A HOLISTIC APPROACH His background in illustration steers Whitcomb to start with a value map for each composition, determining with careful consideration how placement and form will support one another. “Building it from the ground up — making the idea live throughout the whole process,” he calls it. “I say I am orchestrating the piece. It’s the same as writing music. Everything is where it’s supposed to be, and there isn’t any excess.” Establishing these painterly “notes” is Whitcomb’s favorite part of the process, and as any draftsman will explain, the initial steps in composition are the most crucial for rendering with accuracy. “I believe in that formal structure underneath,” Whitcomb says. “Music has structure, and if it didn’t, it would just be noise with no message.” The artist goes on to acknowledge that good design does not simply manifest but needs thoughtful consideration and a true plan in order to deliver the artist’s message. “There are basic principles you have to observe as a painter, regardless of medium. To be able to execute on a good plan is everything.” At the outset of planning a work, Whitcomb addresses value, placement, edging, and, importantly, the role color will play. He calls this “defining your prima donna,” and stresses that the notes that will lend support to her voice must be decided early in the process. “Color is as logical as mathematics,” he says. “It has structure, and you have to work the structure.” For a lover of process, working every aspect of a supporting foundation is done with special passion and a voracious attention to detail. But it is the illustrator-driven strategy that sets Emerald Pool 1998, oil, 8 x 10 in. Collection the artist Plein air
50
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
Fall Trail 1999, oil, 12 x 9 in. Collection the artist Plein air
Whitcomb’s structure apart, ensuring that alignment within the sections of the whole work carry both balance and meaning. “I come at a pastel the same way as an oil painting,” says the artist. “I didn’t really want to shift gears when I moved from one to the other, so I’ve been able to marry my approaches. I start a pastel the way I start an oil — big washes, big shapes, and a fully developed vine charcoal drawing underneath.” The artist’s ability to work between mediums with practiced fluidity does not mean he overlooks the differences between oil and pastel. The manner in which he speaks of the paper he prefers for pastel work elevates his surface to the role of collaborative partner. “The drag matters, just like canvas. And it’s similar to oil paint, you know. I like paint with more of a body to it so it’s a little stiffer. You can feel it when you put it down. It is a tactile thing.” His own preference lies with handmade paper, which embodies what he describes as a more “naturalistic” texture. Whitcomb chases down his supply through multiple channels that include sourcing from paper makers in France. And his respect for the surface he is manipulating is resolute. “It’s a misconception that paper is a delicate support,” he says.” It’s tougher than you think. I just give it a coat of golden pumice, and that helps with the tooth of the paper. That helps it stand up under the abuse that I perpetrate on it.”
THE BEDROCK OF PASSION Whitcomb’s Colorado upbringing and his familiarity with the outdoors rests as the constant that has served his practice. But it’s his willingness to continually learn and see his subject with special depth that sets his work apart. “Landscape painting is about what you see,” he says. “I’m interested in what you don’t see.” The unseen components of nature are what calls this artist to study the depth of its mystery on a geological level. His passion for plate tectonics has him relaying the memory of a meeting with the late David Love, a legendary geoscientist who specialized in studying Wyoming. “He climbed every peak in Wyoming,” Whitcomb says. “If you’re going to write about the Rockies, you have to write about the earth itself. I’m a geologist at Monarch Cemetery 1990, pastel, 14 x 22 in. Private collection Plein air
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
51
Buck Mountain 1996, pastel, 17 x 21 in. Private collection Plein air
heart. I love kicking rocks and poking things and having the tools to be curious. I know just enough to be dangerous.” The artist speaks of the millions of years of work the earth has invested in her own presentation. The slow growth of mountain peaks and the evidence of glacial movement are both topics he has studied and will continue to study. And this only scratches the surface of his love for geology, especially in the region that has so deeply inspired his body of work. “I have a really deep foundation in the Rocky Mountain West,” he explains. “I love this country. As I got older and started painting it, it became a quest to understand the forces of nature that brought all of this into reality. It’s a humbling 52
process, a realization that there is something larger that we don’t have any control over.” It may come as a surprise that Whitcomb also finds inspiration well outside the realism genre. He considers Franz Kline and Willem de Kooning to be among his favorite artists and will return to these abstract expressionists, if only to study the structure of their chaos. Even what might appear to be the most impulsive of brushstrokes has to come with a plan. “You look at those shapes and colors and wonder where the structure is, and what the intent had to be to make such an impact,” he says. For inspiration in realism, the artist looks to the works of George Wesley Bellows. With Bellows’ approach to theory in color and design (especially in his later works), as well as his body of work in illustration, it’s easy to understand why an artist with Whitcomb’s background would seek him out. Ultimately, innate curiosity lives at the core of Whitcomb’s practice. Whether he is trying
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
to uncover the meaning behind his subject or looking to the legacy of an artist such as Bellows, his willingness to learn and ask endless questions continues to feed his passion.
TIME WELL SPENT The passage of time in an artist’s practice means potential for growth. Whitcomb made a crucial decision in the 1980s that he would dedicate his time in a more thoughtful, meaningful way. “I had a real health crisis,” he says. “I was in the hospital thinking, ‘You’re getting a second chance and you’ve taken too much for granted. You best be getting about your business.’” His fruitful career as an artist has been deeply affected by this turning point. It even propelled him to invest in relationships that, he says, “hold more truth than pretense.” For 30 years, he has been painting the Rocky Mountain West en plein air with a tight group of friends, all fellow landscape painters.
Silver Morning 2011, pastel, 24 x 18 in. Private collection Plein air
Treeline Winds 2007, oil, 9 x 12 in. Private collection Plein air
What can be accomplished in art when true friendship takes a role is both impressive and touching, as reflected in the current show at the Steamboat Art Museum, “Four Directions — Common Paths.” There, Whitcomb’s work hangs alongside that of friends Ralph Oberg, Matt Smith, and Dan Young. This foursome keeps their connection strong by traveling together to document the wild. It’s a collaborative and individual pursuit at the same time, and feeds the skill sets of all four artists. But as Whitcomb likes to point out, “Ultimately, once you’re done painting, you don’t want to go to happy hour alone.” As for his own development, he speaks to his continual ability to find a way to simply know more. “I’m always refining my language,” he says. “I’d like to think the work is always being approached from a different point because of where I am in life. I’m not a hard charger, not anymore. I don’t go outside feeling like I need to make four paintings at a time like I used to. I look deeper into nature.” A writer based in Northern Colorado, JENN REIN (jennrein.com) travels the Rocky Mountain West in search of art and beauty.
Ascension 2005, pastel, 24 x 24 in. Private collection Studio from plein air study
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
53
Expanded Digital Edition Content
(CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) Road to Dayton, Wyoming, undated, pastel, 17 x 28 in., available from artist, studio • Snake River, undated, oil, 8 x 10 in., available from artist, plein air • Trappers Lake, undated, oil, 8 x 10 in., collection the artist, plein air • Spring Snow, 1996, oil, 10 x 8 in., collection the artist, plein air
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
Expanded Digital Edition Content
(CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) Laguna Morning, undated, oil, 8 x 10 in., available from artist, plein air Mowing Crew, undated, pastel, 18 x 22 in., available from artist, studio • Winter Pasture, 2009, oil, 36 x 40 in., private collection, studio • September on the Southfork, 1996, oil, 8 x 10. in., private collection, plein air
•
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
Expanded Digital Edition Content
(ABOVE) Glimpse of Gadsby, 2010, oil, 32 x 42 in., privaate collection, studio • (FAR LEFT) Silverton Courthouse, 2007, oil, 12 x 10 in., private collection, plein air • (LEFT) Summer Moon — New Fork River, undated, oil, 18 x 24 in., available from artist, studio
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
Expanded Digital Edition Content
(LEFT) Red Mountain, Blue Shadows, 2004, oil, 12 x 16 in., private collection, studio • (ABOVE) Red Mountain, Blue Shadows Study, oil, 6 x 8 in.
(RIGHT) Forecast — Sunny and Warmer, 2015, oil, 20 x 36 in., private collection, studio • (ABOVE) Forecast — Sunny and Warmer Study, oil, 8 x 9 1/2 in.
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
AUGMENTED RE
Hidden Cove 2019, watercolor, 18 x 24 in. Collection the artist Plein air
54
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
CHRISTOPHER LEEPER
D REALITY
This Ohio painter edits and enhances a scene to more strongly present what captivates his artistic mind. ——— BY BOB BAHR ———
W
hen humans see, our eyes adapt to the light as we focus on various elements in the scene. Pupils dilate when light conditions grow dim. And in the brain, the images are processed using several filters, including the lens of past experience. The subject is never purely rendered. In the brain of the painter, a scene is chosen for depiction in paint because it contains one or more intriguing traits. The artist will stress these signifiers, these hooks. Call it the painter’s version of augmented reality. Ohio artist Christopher Leeper selectively edits and adjusts the subject matter of his paintings in such a seemingly instinctive fashion, one may wonder if he is simply a “natural.” But ask him about specific choices, and he can explain them. He knows exactly what he is doing. Leeper is,
CHRISTOPHER LEEPER, seen here painting on location in Texas, makes his home in Ohio, but travels across the country to participate in plein air invitationals. christopherleeper.com
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
55
DEMONSTRATION: Building Up Shapes and Textures
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Leeper worked on portrait linen glued to hardboard, toned with a loose mix of transparent red earth and solvent and rubbed back to a lighter tone with a rag. He used asphaltum to draw in his rough design. “I’m just trying to get the big shapes and divisions at this point,” he says. “I’m not going for specific shapes but rather the proportion of the shapes in relation to each other. I’m deciding how to divide up the space and setting the scale and proportions of the composition.”
Local color came next in a classic block-in of the major shapes. Leeper used Liquin so this layer would dry quickly. The artist mixed his colors slightly dark, knowing that lighter paint would be added later in the process. He mixed three or four basic colors ahead of time and adjusted them as he went along to turn the forms and make them dimensional and more lifelike.
“This is where I needed to be a little more precise in terms of light and shadow,” Leeper says. “Painting with a lot of dappled light can look great right away or need many adjustments. I am willing to change the light patterns all the way to the end of the painting.”
Step 4 Next, Leeper carved away at the tree shadows until he was satisfied with their appearance and how they worked in the composition. Using a No. 2 flat brush, he began to add detail using straight paint — no medium. “I was starting to think about the specific edges of shapes,” he recalls. “With rapid brushwork, I went into smaller areas and built up the textures.”
A Celebration of Shadows, 2020, oil, 20 x 24 in., collection the artist, plein air and studio
Final Step Back in the studio, Leeper refined the painting further. “The painting looks lighter in value here only because it is a better photo,” he says. “At this stage, I am putting in smaller details and adding bright lights and dark darks with a fine round brush. Some paintings don’t go to this level of detail, but the way that tree came across the composition, it needed to be more specific. And that pushes everything in that direction a little further. I finished it in the studio, so I had all the opportunity to build details. If I had finished this on location, it would be much more suggestive.”
56
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
LEEPER’S FIVE TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL NOCTURNE 1. Paint a much darker ground than you would normally use to start your painting. I use indanthrone blue and a bit of quinacridone magenta. 2. Wipe back your lightest shapes early in the painting. This establishes your design. 3. Use a light that’s not too bright. It’s hard for your eyes to adjust if your painting surface is too brightly lit. I have an LED light that has three brightness settings, and I use the dimmest setting. 4. As you work, your eyes will adjust to the dark and you will begin to see more details in the shadows. Make sure you don’t put too many middle values and details in the painting. Go with your initial impression. 5. Paint your lights opaque and your darks somewhat transparent. This will give your painting more depth. I always mix my blacks. You can use a black tube paint, but be careful that it does not cause your darkest values to get too dense and flat-looking.
instead, a natural in the sense that he has known he would be an artist since he was a small boy. “My mom was a Sunday painter,” he recalls. “She got me painting pretty early. As a kid my main passion was drawing and painting. It was always going to be my path, and everyone expected that.” Comic books were not the gateway for him, but rather classic illustrations by Dean Cornwell, Howard Pyle, and N.C. Wyeth. Their work for novels centering on legends such as Joan of Arc, Robin Hood, and King Arthur are, in a sense, augmented reality, given that the figures those legends were built upon have scant historical grounding. The illustrations bring to life these mythic heroes. Leeper’s paintings, including Stream Light, offer viewers a beautiful scene similar to what many of us have seen on occasion, but the artist’s enhancements and omissions make the view feel “realer than real.” Years of painting in the field allows for this mix of convincing depiction and artistic enhancement. Leeper recalls the artist who inspired him on this path. “I remember really liking Andrew Wyeth,” he says. “I would get a Wyeth book out all the time when we went to the library. As a kid, I was amazed that he was painting what I was seeing out there. I was tuned into landscapes from an early age. That and animals.”
(TOP) Meet Me for Tea, 2019, oil, 16 x 20 in., private collection, plein air 16 x 20 in., collection the artist, plein air
A careful look at the demonstration painting opposite, A Celebration of Shadows, shows Leeper’s sure hand and crucial confidence in removing or stressing certain elements in a painting. The limb extending out on the right of the main-attraction tree was painted in, painted out,
•
(ABOVE) Night Yard, 2018, oil,
then painted in again so the artist could compose the piece and, in the end, restore the limb to its proper place in terms of prominence in the composition. “Yes, that limb went away, knowing that it would be put back in,” he explains. “Drawing it in initially gave me confidence that
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
57
the design would work. I put it in because it is a player in the composition, but I knew it would get painted out for a bit. I knew this tree was going to be over everything else in the painting, and I knew that limb was going to be so much darker than anything else in the painting. You can make a painting read much more interestingly, as far as depth control, than you can with a photo.” Note that the limb is darkest when silhouetted against the sky and distant shore, even though in real life much of the limb and the overall tree exhibited that level of dark value. Reality is augmented, and the painting reads much more strongly because of it.
A TIME AND PLACE FOR STORYTELLING Life being unpredictable and often wonderful, sometimes the actual scene is more remarkable 58
than even the augmented reality of the painting. Consider Leeper’s painting Bus Burlesque, a bewitching nocturne painted at the En Plein Air Texas event in San Angelo, Texas. “On the first night of the event, I roamed the downtown area looking for a subject,” he remembers. “When I saw this red bus sitting behind the Dead Horse Saloon, I was thrilled. What an amazing subject! Little did I know that it would be the most memorable nocturne painting of my career. “It turned out that the bus was owned by a Michigan-based traveling rock ’n’ roll burlesque group. They lived and traveled the country on this bus. As I worked late into the night, the barely dressed female group members would come out to the alley to see my progress. It was a surreal and fun evening of painting. The next day I told some of my fellow artists about my adventure. They didn’t believe me until another
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
Night Wharf 2020, acrylic, 14 x 18 in. Private collection Plein air
artist who was painting in an adjacent parking lot came up and asked if he saw correctly that I was surrounded by naked women as I was painting!” Leeper is not really a narrative painter. “I’m always aware if there is a narrative there,” he says. “Generally there isn’t, but I’m aware of that, too. Sometimes you look at a landscape and see the narrative, and sometimes that can be too strong. I often see other painters having a subtle narrative running through their paintings. But for me, it’s about shapes and light. It starts with a design that I can see, a painting that I can see. Sometimes really great subjects
present themselves, but I don’t always see a painting there for me. It has to have shapes and light conditions that interest me.”
A MASTER OF MULTIPLE MEDIUMS Leeper moves easily between media. He is accomplished in using oil, acrylic, and watercolor. “Watercolor is my native language, and I usually bring them along when I go out painting,” he says. “They are harder to use en plein air, and sometimes I don’t want to work that hard or the weather forecast doesn’t look that good for painting in watercolor. I’ve been asked why I change media, and the answer is, sometimes it is just a whim. I think, ‘That would work really well with watercolor.’ Or the weather dictates the medium.” Leeper uses his oil paint box for watercolor, simply placing his watercolor palette on top of the palette portion of the setup and changing the angle of the box so the painting surface isn’t as vertical as it would be for painting in oil or acrylic. The artist uses a split-primary palette (a cool and warm of the primary colors of blue, red, and yellow) with a few so-called convenience colors, including phthalo green (to make darks by mixing with red), asphaltum, transparent red earth, and a few of the Radiant colors offered by Gamblin, which can serve as pastel versions of the primary colors. He also adds a handful of additional blues to his palette. “I am a blue painter,” he says. “I have ultramarine blue, phthalo blue, King’s blue, Sevres blue, and cobalt blue, and I sometimes add even more blues. I usually bring more colors with me than I end up painting with.” Leeper uses a Sienna painting holder and a homemade paint box with a glass palette. “I don’t like Plexiglas, so I am willing to put up with the weight of glass,” he says. He carries two bags of art materials. “I’ve tried to consolidate and go smaller, but then I miss having all my stuff,” he says. He primarily uses Rosemary & Co brushes, opting for their 1/2- or 3/4-inch long flats early in the painting process, moving down to sizes 2, 4, 6, or 8 as the painting is refined. He also uses inexpensive synthetic rounds “that I can beat up and throw away” for details, and generally eschews brights and filberts. He has a few soft brushes for blending edges. His preferred surface is gessoed panel, which can handle water-based paint, while oil-based primers cannot.
THE ARTIST’S PATH Watercolor may be his first love, and oil is the first love of many collectors, but acrylic is best
(TOP) Beech Grove, 2020, oil, 11 x 14 in., private collection, plein air 18 x 24 in., collection the artist, plein air
•
(ABOVE) Stream Light, 2019, oil,
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
59
Morning Light — Essex, 2019, acrylic, 18 x 18 in., collection the artist, plein air quick draw
60
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
Annapolis Morning 2018, oil, 12 x 12 in. Private collection Plein air
for some situations, such as nocturnes. “I love nocturnes; they are one of my favorites things to paint en plein air,” Leeper says. “The light never changes, and the weather is usually cooler. The light is dramatic, and it’s a really great time to be outside. I feel very comfortable doing them. As a rule, I don’t do nocturnes in watercolor because they don’t dry as fast and that really slows me down — acrylic is the best for nocturnes.” He continues, “Also, with nocturnes, the design process is easier. The design is much more obvious at night because so much is lost in the shadows. Paintings get a little simpler, and the compositions more obvious. Nocturnes also inform my other work, because I take those lessons from night painting, in terms of summarizing and not getting caught up in detail, and apply them elsewhere. But you must feel safe. I have packed up and left when it started feeling sketchy where I was painting and I wasn’t with other people.” With its roots in childhood, Leeper’s artistic path has been long and steady. Along the way, he taught art at the university level for 20 years, and he still conducts workshops. His informed advice to developing painters? “Find the path that is really you,” he says. “Find that inspiration that moves you to paint. If you want to paint horses, paint horses. Don’t listen to what the academics want you to do. Don’t worry what other people say. We have access to so many things, and we hear so many voices. You must gravitate toward something that is you. If we are more honest with ourselves, it makes us better artists. Me, I love being in the woods and I love plein air. It’s who I am as an artist.” BOB BAHR has written about visual art for various books and publications for 18 years. He lives and works in the Kansas City area.
Bus Burlesque 2016, acrylic, 16 x 20 in. Collection the artist Plein air
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
61
Expanded Digital Edition Content
Towpath Nocturne 2017, acrylic, 12 x 16 in. Private collection Plein air Mill Creek Spring 2020, watercolor, 15 x 22 in. Collection the artist Plein air
Afternoon Delight 2018, oil, 18 x 24 in. Collection the artist Plein air Fool in the Rain 2020, acrylic, 14 x 18 in. Private collection Plein air “I was participating in the Paint Grand Traverse event in Traverse City, Michigan, and chose this subject for the pattern of orange umbrellas and reflections,” says Christopher Leeper. “There was no wind, just a steady rainfall. I tucked myself into a doorway of a bank, put my earbuds in, and just lost myself in the painting. This was one of the more pleasant memories of painting in 2020.” August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
Expanded Digital Edition Content
Autumn in Annisquam, 2019, acrylic, 20 x 24 in., available from artist, plein air
April Cascade, 2020, acrylic, 12 x 16 in., available from artist, plein air Hidden Valley Horse Farm 2018, oil, 18 x 24 in. Available from artist Plein air
Nor’easter, 2019, acrylic, 12 x 24 in., available from artist, plein air “In 2019, as the Cape Ann Plein Air festival was ending, a nor’easter hit the East Coast. I just had to try my hand at capturing the drama of the crashing waves. I got permission from a nearby homeowner to use their porch. The wind was ferocious, and the rain was coming straight into my face. I strapped the easel to the porch railing and painted like crazy.”
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
High Noon Hidden Cove (Boyd Hill 2019, watercolor, Preserve, St. Pete, 18 FL) x 24 in. Collection 2021, pastel, the24artist x 18 in. Plein air from artist Available Plein air
62
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
SHAWN DELL JOYCE
BLOOMING WHERE PLANTED Ever since an unexpected event altered the course of her life, this artist and activist has found purpose in combining her love of the land and plein air painting, no matter where she calls home. ——— BY SHAWN DELL JOYCE ———
G
rowing up on a citrus farm in Brownsville, Texas, I fully expected to take over from my father until a cruel twist of fate forced me to change course. In the early 1980s, a deep freeze hit South Texas and destroyed all the citrus trees. The farm went bankrupt and was sold to developers, and I went north to college, where I majored in painting and drawing. For years, the loss of the family farm tinged my art with an edge of heartbreak. During college, I moved cross-country and wound up in New York City, where I found success in the blossoming East Village art scene of the 1990s. There I worked as an
SHAWN DELL JOYCE imbues her pastels with a sense of place and purpose.
Casting a Long Shadow (St. Pete, FL) 2021, pastel, 16 x 12 in. Available from artist Plein air
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
63
(ABOVE LEFT) Church’s View (Olana, Hudson, NY), 2019, pastel, 13 x 15 in., private collection, plein air • (ABOVE) Miss Alena (Tarpon Springs, FL), 2019, pastel, 20 x 16 in., available from artist, plein air • (LEFT) Happy Place (Dunedin Causeway, FL), 2021, pastel, 12 x 16 in., available from artist, plein air
artist’s apprentice to actor Willem Dafoe and oil painter Mark Kostabi, among others. During this time, I founded an anti-censorship group and held a series of alternative space exhibits. All the while, however, I missed the warmth of the fields back home. On a motorcycle trip out of the city one day, I visited the Hudson Valley and fell in love with the bucolic landscape. I relocated and began visiting the sites where the Hudson River School painted, drawing inspiration from the 64
way they used Transcendentalism to connect people to the region in a way that made them want to preserve and protect it from the iron forges and railroads of the 1850s.
ARTIST AS ACTIVIST I began to speak out as an activist and environmentalist, and was offered a weekly column called “Sustainable Living” in the regional newspaper. Promoting localism and sustainable agriculture, the column got picked up by newspapers
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
across the country. Through the exposure, I came to the attention of climate activists, which led to my training with former Vice President Al Gore and leading climatologists. In an effort to connect people with the land that sustains them, I also began a series of plein air classes on small farms in the Hudson Valley. Soon 50 people were showing up on a weekly basis. To keep up with interest, I hired additional teachers and started a plein air school called Wallkill River School, inspired by the conservationist philosophy of the Hudson River School and my own experience of losing the family farm. When you paint the landscape, you slow down and study it; you notice things that you would never see from a car window on the highway; you fall in love with it. My goal was to connect people viscerally with the land and give them a reason to preserve it, to make stakeholders out of tourists and commuters. As the school gained support in the region, we were able to establish a permanent home in a two-story historic brick house in Montgomery, New York. With “creative placemaking” (the use of art to create a sense of place in the community)
color and flavor you wouldn’t find in the more touristy areas.
A CHANGE OF PALETTE BUT NOT SENSIBILITY Besides a change of landscape — with tropical plants and birds taking the place of fields and machinery — came a change in my palette. The violets, siennas, and ultramarines of the northern climate gave way to the vibrant phthalo blues, oranges, and green-golds of Florida. Now when I go back to the Hudson Valley, as I do every year to teach plein air pastel workshops, the first thing I notice is that the sky is ultramarine. That’s because the elevation is so high and there’s not as much water vapor in the air as in Florida, where skies are cerulean and phthalo blue. Florida attracts people for its variety of unique features — the wild bird sanctuaries, beautiful beaches, and bayous — but these are the very areas under pressure of development by population growth and climate change. In my work, I chronicle these places at this particular point in time, focusing on the forgotten Florida landscapes. My work in creative placemaking continues.
(TOP) Backroads (Staunton, VA), 2016, pastel, 16 x 20 in., private collection, plein air • (ABOVE) Farm in the Foothills (Staunton, VA), 2016, pastel, 16 x 20 in., private collection, plein air • (RIGHT) Sound of Angels Singing, 2018, pastel, 24 x 18 in., collection of Wallkill River School, Montgomery, NY, plein air
as our mission, we began holding benefit art auctions on small farms and hosting other events that mixed artists with farmers to create cultural tourism. I painted nonstop during this time, capturing farms and open spaces in pastel, teaching workshops, and participating in plein air competitions around the country, including Staunton, Virginia. Dedicated to pursuing a professional career as a painter, I retired as executive director
of the Wallkill River School in 2018 and relocated to Dunedin, Florida, a small Celtic town in Tampa Bay. There I immediately developed Plein Air Adventure, a series of outdoor painting classes. Each week, I take a dedicated group of painters, both locals and snowbirds, to places off the beaten track. We visit “Old Florida” sites like historic theaters, hidden bayous, and quiet beaches, and we paint. These places offer a taste of local
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
65
Expanded Digital Edition Content
S
ABSTRACTION TO REALISM
hawn Dell Joyce has two studios — a dedicated lanai (Florida-speak for an enclosed porch) and a smaller indoor studio. With ventilation assured, and dust easier to filter out, an outdoor studio is a good fit for a pastel artist. To protect her pastels, she stores them in a set of weatherproof cabinets. Her easel is mounted on a taboret with rustproof storage. She uses the indoor studio mainly as a recording and broadcasting studio for her online classes. Joyce uses a combination of pastels, but mostly Rembrandt for underpainting and Mount Vision Pastels for adding layers of rich color. She uses her hands to blend, donning liquid gloves as a barrier cream to protect herself from toxic pigments. She works exclusively on Ampersand Pastelbord.
THE ARTIST’S PROCESS Joyce starts with a thumbnail sketch that identifies at least five values, as well as the focal point. “I simplify the landscape into abstract blocks of value and color,” she says. “The focal point is always where the darkest dark and lightest light meet. It’s important to be aware of this and make sure you put the focal point(s) in the most advantageous place.” Next, Joyce makes a quick color study to lay out her palette. She may bring a hundred pastels to a plein air site, but uses only a handful of sticks for each painting. “I make a color study to try out the colors, then separate the pastels I’ve chosen in an easel box,” says Joyce. “This is my VIP seating area, and only the pastels that will be used in the painting get to hang out there.” Joyce has a Sienna pastel box that attaches to her En Plein Air Pro easel. The box has values from 5 to 1 numbered on the side, and she sets up her pastels according to value. Most often, Joyce paints methodically from dark to light, or from 5 to 1. Path to the Beach (Honeymoon Island, FL), 2021, pastel, 24 x 18 in., available from artist, plein air August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
Expanded Digital Edition Content
(ABOVE) Sunset Through Sea Oats (Indian Rocks Beach, FL) 2020, pastel, 12 x 16 in. Private collection Plein air (TOP LEFT) Homecoming 2019, pastel, 18 x 24 in. Private collection Studio from plein air studies (LEFT) Racing the Storm 2019, pastel, 24 x 36 in. Available from Woodfield Fine Art Studio from plein air studies
Once her palette is laid out according to her color study, Joyce is ready to begin painting. She paints quickly and methodically, working a large surface in under two hours so that she captures the light at that particular moment. Her typical plein air surfaces are 16 x 20, 13 x 36, and 18 x 24 inches. “Twenty-five years of plein air work have given me a confident hand,” she says. “I can be accurate and quick on location, then take the
painting home and live with it for a few days. This helps me see areas that need a little ‘pop’ of color or edges that may need to be softened or darkened.” In the studio, Joyce’s technique is a little more relaxed. “I still start out with a value sketch and color study, but often will do these days ahead of time. Also, I don’t always work from dark to light in the studio. Most often I work from back to front. I look at what is
furthest away and start blocking in the distant sky and reflection. “If I’m painting large (a typical studio painting is 24 x 36 inches), I may start with my surface flat instead of on the easel so I have maximum saturation of pigment into the tooth of the board.” She starts with large abstract shapes, covering the entire surface. “Once the pigment is in the tooth of the board, it’s easier to blend into it,” she notes. She then refines the shapes by scumbling and sometimes blending, especially cloud shapes in the sky. August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
Expanded Digital Edition Content
DEMONSTRATION: Starting With Big Color Blocks
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Joyce uses the first layers of pastel (Mount Vision Pastels) to make large abstract shapes on a 24 x 36-inch Ampersand Pastelbord. She paints the water at the same time as she paints the sky. “Water usually reflects what’s in the sky, so while I have that color in my hand, I paint both. I vary my strokes for water and make the marks more horizontal, as water moves horizontally.” She reflects the cloud shapes in the water with long dark side strokes using the whole side of a Mount Vision Pastel stick.
She then blends the edges, softening the light and making the tooth ready to receive more pastel. “Pastel is the best medium for capturing dramatic lighting effects because you can layer light over dark and scumble colors across each other without mixing them,” she says.
She scumbles clouds across the bright skies, then it’s time to add the darks, such as the horizon line and the shoreline. At the horizon line, she indicates that there are two parts of an island that was split by a hurricane.
Step 4 Next, the artist adds the sea foam and waves. Using horizontal side strokes of the pastel stick, she creates the illusion of clouds reflected on the water. She refines edges but saves detail work for the birds. “I’m endlessly inspired by the ever-changing light and landscape,” she says. “We artists are lucky to be able to capture this place, at this moment. We are seeing history unfold before us.”
Sandpiper’s Sunset 2021, pastel, 24 x 36 in. Studio
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
Expanded Digital Edition Content
(TOP_ Herons Rising, 2019, pastel, 24 x 36 in., available from Woodfield Fine Art, studio from plein air studies • (ABOVE RIGHT) Sunset Over St. Pete (St. Pete, FL), 2021, pastel, 12 x 16 in., available from artist, plein air nocturne • (ABOVE LEFT) Fleeting Moment, 2019, pastel, 24 x 36 in., private collection, studio from plein air studies
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
Expanded Digital Edition Content
Autumn Grasses 2020, pastel, 12 x 16 in. Available from artist Plein air
Dirty Laundry (Heritage Museum, Largo, FL) 2020, pastel, 18 x 24 in. Available from artist Plein air
Plein air setup in Staunton, Virginia August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
Expanded Digital Edition Content
Dunedin Marina (Dunedin, FL) 2019, pastel, 12 x 16 in. Private collection Plein air
Backroads (Staunton, VA) 2016, pastel, 16 x 20 in. Private collection Plein air
Sand Key 2020, pastel, 12 x 16 in. Private collection Plein air August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
Tim Bur 2019, oil, 6 x 12 in. Private collection Plein air
STEVEN WALKER
SIMPLE PLEASURES WITH A TWIST This Georgia painter looks for nostalgic scenes he can make more compelling through simplification and the depiction of fleeting light effects.
M
——— BY BOB BAHR ———
emory plays a crucial role in painting — even plein air painting. An artist working on location paints what is in front of the easel, but that view, that vision, is going through the mental filter of the painter, where it is altered by memories and feelings. Also, the scene is stored in short-term memory as the artist looks away and focuses on the painting surface. In the long run, memory informs an artist’s idea of what feels romantic, warm, and nostalgic.
Oil painter Steven Walker says he likes nostalgic scenes, even when they don’t evoke direct or specific memories in him. The artist has lived in a number of locales, and he paints views from across the country with the kind of heart-tugging warmth and humanity that appeals to viewers, even if the scene is nothing like what he grew up with or knows intimately. In this way, he may be tapping into our collective idea of warm memories. He can do this in part because his painting approach involves a somewhat contrarian streak
STEVEN WALKER paints while taking in the view from his front porch. stevenwalkerstudios.com
66
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
At the Mill Pond #2 2021, oil, 16 x 16 in. Available from Hagan Fine Art, Charleston, SC Plein air
that seeks unconventional compositions, thus making what could simply be a nostalgic subject intriguing, and in part because Walker is an expert at painting the extraordinary light that occurs in nature for the briefest of moments. We may not have grown up in a part of the country where the barns are built in the manner of the one in The Day Ahead, but we’ve all seen those fleeting minutes when the bottom of a building is awash in the bluish tones of dawn or dusk shadows while the topmost part is glowing with the warmth of the sun on the horizon. “There’s a lot of memory involved in all of it,” Walker says of his body of work. “Some of it is from reference, but even if I use a picture of a scene, I have to take note, on location, of the little things that I won’t get from a photo. And I tell my students you are running uphill if you use someone else’s photo, because you don’t get that direct interaction with the subject.”
MATERIAL MATTERS Walker makes his own panels and tones them a vibrant orange. He likes to paint on Dibond, a product with a polyethylene core sandwiched between aluminum sheets, which offers significant strength for its weight. The artist buys 4 x 8-foot sheets and cuts them to the size and format he wants. In order for DTM bonding primer to adhere, he must remove the protective plastic film from the Dibond and scuff the surface, then apply several layers of primer, sanding between coats. “That’s basically my gesso,” he says. “I cut the sheets into custom sizes for commissions or for my own concepts that call for a non-standard format.” The artist also likes ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), a polymer blend that is about the same weight as Dibond but is sturdier, resisting damages to its corners if bumped. He must sand the gloss off the ABS and use only In Park 2021, oil, 8 x 8 in. Collection the artist Plein air
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
67
DEMONSTRATION: Preserving the Hierarchy of the Composition Step 2
Step 1 Walker typically starts with a toned surface stained with straight cadmium orange, although he sometimes mixes a bit of yellow ochre into the orange “to temper the blue of the sky that pushes a cool light onto things.”
Using a mixture of transparent oxide red and ultramarine blue, Walker sketches out the composition. His sketch is generally an outline of the basic shapes, but if something catches his eye, he will include specific aspects of the element. For example, consider the stain on the bucket that he chose to indicate in this early stage. “I noticed the line on the bucket and thought it was more interesting than just putting down a cylinder,” he says. For most traditional landscapes, he starts in the background and moves forward in the composition in sequence. For pieces that are more like portraits or a vignetted scene, he begins with the main subject and branches out from there. “I made this piece en plein air, with the shadows moving with the light, so I was already starting to emphasize and capture the reasons I stopped to paint this subject,” says Walker. “If I can do this in the outline drawing stage, then I am doing pretty well. If it isn’t working with just the line drawing, then it isn’t going to work as a painting.”
Step 4 The artist then began to analyze the painting to see what it might need or how it may be improved. “I asked myself, ‘How do I keep this from being boring?’ I put more interest into the wheelbarrow because I noticed that the marks in the background were starting to distract from the subject matter,” says Walker. “I decided to add the metal pan on the bottom right to unbalance the composition and make it more interesting.” Although some artists save the brightest brights — the highlights — until the end, Walker placed those bright spots in the wheelbarrow in an earlier stage. “I wanted to see how far I could go with that, painting those bright screws.”
Final Step (opposite page) Step 3 Vibrant color distinguishes the painting early on. This is by design. “The further you go into painting, the more mud you can produce,” says the artist. “So I start with bright colors and know they will get toned down. I’m counting on the mud. That green was not going to stay that vibrant.”
68
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
Still concerned about preserving the hierarchy of the composition, Walker rolled a brayer over the background to soften it and kill some of the texture. “I let it sit for 20 minutes before I decided to do that,” he says. All that was left was his signature — but Walker uses a stamp for many smaller pieces. “I used to sign my paintings. Now I use a stamp I made. It’s a crown that looks like a W on an S. I also sign and stamp the back for provenance.”
Poppin’ a Wheelie 2021, oil, 12 x 12 in. Collection the artist Plein air
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
69
Conversations With Brenda 2021, oil, 10 x 8 in. Collection the artist Plein air
oil-based solvents and mediums on it. “Then I just paint directly on the prepared ABS,” he says. “I have never found anything easier.” His palette is essentially a split primary with a few convenience colors: alizarin crimson, cadmium red medium, transparent red oxide, cadmium orange, cadmium yellow medium, cadmium lemon yellow, viridian, cobalt blue, ultramarine blue (usually), and either Permalba white or titanium white. He favors synthetic bright brushes, generally a size 8 or 6. “Sometimes I’ll use one brush throughout the whole painting, maybe going down to a 4 or a 2 for details,” he says.
ARTISTIC ROOTS Like many fine artists today, Walker has deep roots in the field of illustration. This means a life in the studio, making plein air an endeavor off the path. He says the most difficult part of adding plein air to his repertoire of artistic skills was gauging the color values in his paintings while outdoors. “The hardest thing was my light perception outside,” the artists says, noting that he has only been strongly active in plein air painting for two years. “I work on white board in the studio, so toning a surface was not natural to me. I learned that when I painted plein air most of my paintings looked good outside — but inside, they could look very blue and gray, and like nothing that I remember seeing out there.” Clearly, this is a slight weakness Walker has long since addressed, but for those of us still developing as painters, his confession of a modest struggle is encouraging and endearing.
His time in the illustration grind may have thrown up one small obstacle, but it also built up key chops in the artist in terms of color mixing, drawing, composing, and evoking a mood. Illustration also gave Walker a surprising gift. “The deadlines and the unappreciated nature of illustration is not something I want to deal with again,” he says. “But that grueling treatment has made my life much easier as a painter. I recently had someone call me from the Department of Economic Development who needed a painting as a gift for a bigwig diplomat from South Korea. They called on Friday and said, ‘Can you get this to me Thursday?’ I was thinking to myself, ‘Oh, I thought you were going to give me a problem and want it on Monday.’ So I sat down in my studio on Saturday with my wife, daughter, and dog nearby and knocked it out, wiped my hands, and was done with it. I only had to wait for the paint to dry.” Walker used Gamblin’s solvent-free gel to expedite the drying of the paint. Green Harvest 2020, oil on panel, 12 x 12 in. Available from Lovetts Gallery, Tulsa, OK Studio from a plein air study
70
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
Saturday in Georgetown 2021, oil, 12 x 16 in. Collection Calloway Fine Art & Consulting, Washington, D.C. Plein air
FAVORITE SUBJECTS People like tractors, and they like paintings of tractors. Walker delivers tractor paintings that are nearly epic in their beauty. Look at Green Harvest, a portrait of a green crop harvester, with its subject smack dab in the middle of the canvas. The harvester is well done, but there’s also a beautiful sunset and some arresting light effects clipping the top of the machine. “I’m trying not to paint what is already expected,” Walker says. “I don’t go for the obvious if I can help it. If I’m painting an object, I’m trying to find a way to break the rules. I’m looking for simplicity and nostalgia, not necessarily documentation.” Walker says nostalgia doesn’t mean personal nostalgia for him. “It’s countryside, not home,” he says. “It’s about getting away to the simple life, not the hustle and bustle of city life.” He doesn’t completely eschew urban scenes, but he tempers them, as in Saturday in Georgetown. “That painting was about light and cast shadows,” Walker explains. “Because it was a Saturday, the bustle wasn’t going to stop. I had to paint it in sections. I did the crowd near the building, then I did the cars at one go when the light stopped them. I knew the people in the foreground should not be emphasized because they weren’t important — they were not going to be there long at all. I placed them in the piece by drawing their silhouette, and then I just left them. I had to put them down and leave them. Near the end, I used a brayer to mess up the scene to give it more interest and so it was not as graphic. I wanted it to look like a painting, not a photo.” Walker was also careful to leave the cars and the people undefined so the piece would not be dated by clothes and trends in car design. In many of his pieces, Walker’s preference for dramatic light is evident. Shrimpin’ 2021, oil, 11 x 14 in. Collection the artist Plein air
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
71
A Dappled Stroll 2021, oil, 18 x 24 in. Private collection Plein air
“Midday doesn’t do a lot for me,” he says. “But even night scenes, where the artificial light is constant, are about light.” The artist points out that color in night scenes seems more saturated, and looks correct when painted that way, because of the contrast between illuminated areas and the darkness. “The artificial light will make things seem more saturated because of the contrast with the descending darkness,” says Walker.
LOOKING BACK AND AHEAD In the manner of many fully formed artists, Walker will teach some guidelines of painting, even as he breaks them and recommends students be open to doing so as well. “I don’t like to get bogged down in the rules and the must-haves,” he says. “I get read those rules by students even when I am teaching a workshop. I think it’s more important to figure out what works for you. For example, I couldn’t work using the tone that other people use on their surfaces, such as a brown- or yellow-toned canvas. I tell History of Light 2021, oil, 14 x 11 in. Collection the artist Plein air
72
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
The Day Ahead 2021, oil, 30 x 30 in. Collection the artist Studio from a plein air study
students to take what you need and leave the rest, otherwise you are going to end up painting just like other people.” Walker is aware of his continued growth as an artist. “I’ve spent the last couple of weeks thinking about what I am going to do next,” he says. “I always have something else going off to the side of my regular work, just for myself. I’ve been looking at reference photographs I took in Ireland, Scotland, and Italy. I pulled up old paintings from 2012 and cringed, but
I’m also thinking I could do a lot better now. I passed on so many reference photos because I didn’t think I could tackle them. Now I think I can. My wife and I will retire in Ireland, if we can. As soon as I told her I was going to paint some scenes from our European trips, she started looking up rental properties over there,” Walker says with a chuckle. Until then, the artist will continue with his plein air endeavors, for more reasons than one. “I started the plein air work to get out of
my comfort zone and to meet people,” he says. “Otherwise, I am in my studio eight hours a day. People are like, ‘I’ve never heard of you.’ If I can’t travel the world, I can certainly drive around and paint with people — socially distanced, for now.” BOB BAHR has written about visual art for various books and publications for 18 years. He lives and works in the Kansas City area.
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
73
Expanded Digital Edition Content
(CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) The Tasting Room, 2021, oil, 18 x 24 in., private collection, plein air • Georgia Color Nocturne, 2020, oil, 12 x 9 in., private collection, plein air • Well Dam, 2019, oil, 6 x 9 in., available from Sharon Weiss Gallery, plein air • Lavender Falls, 2019, oil, 6 x 9 in., available from Sharon Weiss Gallery, plein air
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
Expanded Digital Edition Content
(CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE) Past Shadows, 2018, oil, 24 x 30 in., collection the artist, studio • Still Standing, 2021, oil, 30 x 30 in., collection the artist, studio from plein air • Overtime, 2020, oil, 11 x 14 in., available from Two Sisters Gallery, Columbus, GA, studio • The Reunion, 2021, oil, 18 x 36 in., available from Two Sisters Gallery, Columbus, GA, studio from plein air
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
destination inspiration
CAPE COD NATIONAL SEASHORE
CELEBRATES 60 YEARS Jonathan McPhillips, Mary Giammarino, Rosalie Nadeau, and Joe McGurl share their unique viewpoints on this popular East Coast destination.
O
——— BY KELLY KANE ———
n August 7, 1961, President John F. Kennedy signed a bill authorizing the establishment of Cape Cod National Seashore. A longtime summer resident of the Cape, J.F.K. had co-sponsored the legislation while in the Senate. The goal, he wrote, was “to preserve the natural and historic values of a portion of Cape Cod for the inspiration and enjoyment of people all over the United States.” Part of the Atlantic coastal pine barrens ecoregion, the Seashore features beautiful beachfront, woods, and coastal plain ponds. Today it encompasses more than 43,000 acres and draws over 4 million visitors a year.
JONATHAN MCPHILLIPS Endless Narrative Options
The golden light of Cape Cod, particularly the Outer Cape, casts a unique glow on the landscape. As the Cape stretches far into the Atlantic Ocean, the salty mist in the air refracts the light and excites the senses. Over the winter months, the weather can change the landscape completely. Going back in the spring, I often find the docks and coastal buildings in various states of disrepair, adding new vibrancy to familiar painting locations. In the summer, the Cape gets busy, so it’s a good idea to plan your travel to painting sites in advance. Consult maps and online directions before you head out. You may also want to check in with local museums, galleries, or community art centers to get firsthand tips and inspiration. For me, the variety of buildings and boats — both recreational and vocational — provides endless narrative options for paintings. Just about any harbor on Cape Cod suits me just fine. No matter when you go, just be prepared for the quickly changing weather. Make sure there’s cover nearby or you have materials on hand to 74
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
protect you from the sun and the occasional shower. Once you’re there, I guarantee it’ll be hard to leave. There is so much to explore and absorb. jonathanmcphillips.com
Dockside 2021, oil, 10 x 8 in. Available from Addison Art Gallery, Orleans, MA Plein air
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
75
destination inspiration
MARY GIAMMARINO Ever-Changing Ecosystem
When the government established the Cape Cod National Seashore, they preserved a glorious, fragile, and ever-changing ecosystem. Over the past 60 years, it has attracted a certain kind of person, including countless artists, who appreciate the lifestyle and unique landscape it provides. The local community works with the environment and helps protect it. There are so many varied landscapes within a short distance of each other, all surrounded by reflective and beautiful bodies of water. I’ve been returning to Provincetown to paint and study the Cape light every spring since 1989. I also like to go in late fall to paint street scenes when the crowds are gone. The greatest challenge is finding a place to park. If you don’t have a resident sticker, you’ll find parking difficult and expensive. I recommend staying someplace like Provincetown, where parking is included and it’s a short distance to great painting spots. mary-painting.com
Sound Not Included 2020, oil, 14 x 11 in. Available from Four Eleven Gallery, Provincetown, MA Plein air 76
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
(TOP) Race Point, 2020, oil, 14 x 11 in., available from Four Eleven Gallery, Provincetown, MA, plein air • (ABOVE RIGHT) This Morning, 2021, oil, 16 x 20 in., available from Four Eleven Gallery, Provincetown, MA, plein air
(ABOVE) Basket’s Not Full, 2021, oil, 16 x 12 in., available from Tree’s Place Gallery, plein air • (ABOVE RIGHT) Tonset Boathouse Reflection, 2020, oil, 12 x 16 in., available from Tree’s Place Gallery, plein air
ROSALIE NADEAU From the Water’s Edge
Flying low over the Cape in a small airplane, I had the sensation of water covering the narrow strip of land as it formed long ago. Gentle hills appeared to be an extension of the sandbars and rolling dunes; water snaked through the landscape. This sense of place has stayed with me and impacts how I relate to the landscape in my work today. Surrounded by water and without mountains or other large features, the landscape offers little in terms of scale or linear perspective. The rich moisture in the air, however, contributes to the aerial, or atmospheric, perspective, creating the illusion of distance and unique light effects. I love to paint the shoreline along the varied waterways — the ocean, bay, ponds, rivers, and creeks. From the water’s edge, I observe many contrasting colors I can use for depicting the light. Painting sandbars as they are revealed by the ebbing tide is another way one can create a sense of depth. The climate here is generally mild, making plein air possible any time of year. With varied water views accessible, there are always great subjects to paint — even in the winter, when the marsh grasses glow in golden contrast to the jewel tones of the water, which in turn reflects the cool hues of the sky. If you want to keep your feet dry, however, it’s important to check the tides, as they can change from low to high during a single painting session. Another thing to consider is the wind, which in winter can be brutal. The
good news is that it’s always possible to find a lee or other comfortable spot to set up with a water view. I use the Take It Easel, which is extremely stable on uneven terrain, mostly because its legs are easily adjustable and it has a wide leg-span. These are especially important traits in Cape Cod, where the ground is rough and slopes toward the water. If you go during the busy summer season, know that many towns require parking permits at beaches and boat landings. In 1970, the National Seashore acquired much of the ocean side and offers temporary parking permits. rosalienadeau.com
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
77
destination inspiration Field Study, Cranberry Bog Pumphouse 2015, oil, 6 x 8 in. Private collection Plein air
JOE McGURL A Sense of Light and Space
There are many aspects of Cape Cod that make it a great place to paint. Predominant are the colors of the landscape set against the sea, which often create a brilliant effect throughout the day. The beauty of the area attracted Charles Hawthorne to Provincetown, where he established the Cape Cod School of Art. The famous colorist Henry Hensche was a teacher there, and his theories and approaches to interpreting color have influenced generations of artists to this day. The most unique aspect of scenery on Cape Cod is the sense of light and space. There aren’t the dramatic vistas you find out West. The landscape is fairly flat, so you have a full view of the sky. At the shoreline, you can see to the horizon across the sea, over the marsh, along the beach, or on top of a sand dune. And whereas the city or forest can seem claustrophobic, the Cape feels open and spacious. But the Cape has more intimate scenes as well — harbors with marinas and boats, quaint villages, cranberry bogs, and winding lanes. I think the Buzzards Bay side of the Cape is the most interesting area. There are numerous harbors, inlets, and peninsulas to paint from, and the shoreline is varied. It’s also less developed than other parts of the Cape. As it faces west, the sunsets are great, and there are several spots from which to paint them. Access is good, particularly in the off-season when they don’t enforce town parking regulations. Quisset Harbor has good access and a classic boatyard, and at the mouth of the harbor is a peninsula with a walking trail that leads to a promontory overlooking Buzzards Bay. Woods Hole is also great for its maritime activity, the famous Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, and a classic lighthouse. The beaches on the Outer Cape offer miles of sand dunes and views of the Atlantic, as well as large marshlands. My favorite place for painting, however, is Squeteague Harbor. I like it because it’s where I live, and I can row or walk to several spots to paint. Field Study, Winter Afternoon 2021, oil, 9 x 12 in. Private collection Plein air 78
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
Field Study, The Outermost House 2020, oil, 9 x 12 in. Private collection Plein air
It has a barrier island, which is conservation land on one side and is great to walk around and paint in any direction. In the afternoon, Buzzards Bay can get quite windy, and the island blocks the wind and waves from the west. The view from the shoreline provides beautiful sunsets across the bay or toward the picturesque harbor and there’s a sandy beach, rocky beach, and marshy section. I especially like painting on Cape Cod in late summer and early fall. The greens are a beautiful deep shade, and the goldenrod and Queen Anne’s lace are out, providing a nice contrast. The sumac has turned a bright red, and there are also shades of yellow and brown in the marshes and shoreline foliage. In the summer, crowds can be a problem in some areas, but by September they’ve thinned out and parking is no longer an issue. The sun is also lower throughout the day and it casts longer shadows, which can make for better compositions. The light is usually crisp and clear, and the temperature is perfect for spending the day outdoors.
One of the challenges of painting on Cape Cod is that there are so many horizontal shapes, it can be difficult to find a good composition. The scenery is beautiful, but beautiful scenery isn’t all that’s needed to make a good painting subject. Oftentimes, I’ll add something to the composition that may be out of my view but would fit in with what I’m painting. It may be a tree, a piling on the shore, a telephone pole, or an osprey stand — just something vertical to counter all the horizontals. Another solution is to include more of the foreground, as there tend to be more vertical or diagonal shapes closer to your vantage point. Also, the weather is constantly changing — you may start a sunny painting in the morning and a short time later the clouds move in. I always look at the forecast and take note of which direction the clouds are moving. The tides are also something to consider; over the course of a few hours, the shoreline will change. josephmcgurl.com
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
79
Expanded Digital Edition Content
(CLOCKWISE) Repairing the Outrigger, Jonathan McPhillips, 2021, oil, 9 x 12 in., available from Addison Art Gallery, Orleans, MA, plein air • Headquarters, Jonathan McPhillips, 2021, oil, 9 x 12 in., available from Addison Art Gallery, Orleans, MA, plein air and studio • In the Right Place, Jonathan McPhillips, 2020, oil, 12 x 9 in., private collection, plein air and studio • Seashore Break, Jonathan McPhillips, 2020, oil, 9 x 12 in., private collection, plein air and studio August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
Expanded Digital Edition Content
(CLOCKWISE) Blossom, Mary Giammarino, 2021, oil, 20 x 16 in., available from Four Eleven Gallery, Provincetown, MA, plein air • Crunch, Mary Giammarino, 2020, oil, 20 x 24 in., available from Four Eleven Gallery, Provincetown, MA, plein air • Tonset Rock — Late Light, Rosalie Nadeau, 2018, oil, 24 x 36 in., private collection, plein air and studio • Impending Storm, 2021, oil, 12 x 16 in., available from artist, plein air
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
Expanded Digital Edition Content
Pamet Cloud Break Rosalie Nadeau 2018, oil, 20 x 30 in. Private collection Plein air and studio
Field Study of a Rock Joe McGurl 2018, oil, 9 x 12 in. Private collection Plein air August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
Expanded Digital Edition Content The Blue Boat Joe McGurl 2020, oil, 16 x 20 in. Private collection Studio
THE BEST TIME TO VISIT “I would suggest coming in the off season, which is September through mid-June,” says Joe McGurl. “It’s quieter, parking is easier, and hotels are cheaper. If you are able, adjust your trip to the weather reports, as we can get a few rainy days in a row. Maybe use Google Earth to check out some areas that seem interesting, then go on a Cape Cod Facebook page to ask any questions you may have. People may even give you suggestions about where to paint. And be sure to bring bug spray and sunblock. If it’s calm in the evening, the gnats can be a nuisance.”
Joe McGurl painting from his dinghy
The Red Boat Joe McGurl 2019, oil, 16 x 12 in. Private collection Studio
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
the elements
FIRST THINGS FIRST When confronted with a vast, complex landscape, the secret to a good composition often comes down to a simple thumbnail sketch. Follow along as this artist demonstrates how to start a painting off right, even when time is against you.
B
——— BY LISA MOZZINI-MCDILL ———
efore I ever painted, I sketched. As a young girl, I drew people over and over again, trying to capture their likenesses. As with anything, practice improved my ability and accuracy. But it wasn’t until I studied graphic design in college that I learned how to use thumbnail sketches to work out my designs. Later, when I started taking plein air workshops, I discovered the importance of simplifying, having a focal point, and concentrating on value. Still, arriving at a beautiful location to paint can be overwhelming; there’s so much to look at. At times, I’ve been guilty of jumping right in because I’m excited and the light is changing fast. However, this often leads to my spending more time wiping off and starting over, or worse, noticing a fatal flaw once I’ve finished. Taking the extra few minutes to walk around, find the scene that most attracts me, and plan my painting always saves me time in the long run. I start with thumbnail sketches to simplify what I see and narrow down my choices based on what will make a good composition. I look for shapes and shadow patterns that make a Arbor sketch
80
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
good composition, and identify the element that most attracts me to use as my focal point. These quick sketches are not meant to be masterpieces. They are often messy but lead to a further refinement of the elements I’ll use in my painting. I try out different orientations to see if a square or a vertical composition will enhance the design. If I’m most drawn to the sky and clouds, I devote more real estate in my sketches to that area. Once I’ve done a few thumbnails, I have a better idea of what will work. From there, I can make a bigger and more refined sketch if needed.
Arbor 2019, oil, 10 x 8 in. Available from Huse Skelly Gallery Plein air Just because you know the local color of an object is white doesn’t mean it appears white, especially where it’s in shade. In this case, the dark background helped me to simplify the scene and put the focus on what I was really interested in painting — the shadow colors on the white fence. I especially enjoyed adding the reflected warm light inside the top of the arbor.
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
81
the elements THE VALUE OF THE VALUE SKETCH A value sketch (“value” simply refers to how light or dark something is) allows you to see the abstract design of the scene. When the light changes, it can help you remember the shadow patterns you saw when you started. Values are important because colors can fool you into thinking something is darker or lighter than it appears, but if you get the values correct, the painting will still “read” even if you change the colors. Because we are trying to make a two-dimensional surface appear threedimensional, we need to describe the way light falls across surfaces, creating the illusion of form. Getting the correct value relationships is key to doing this. For my value sketches, I prefer Micron pens and Winsor & Newton Promarker brush markers. I’ve tried pencil, but I find the drawing often gets smudged while being carried around. I recommend using only three or four values of gray. Fewer values helps simplify the sketch and makes it easier to quickly capture the scene. Plus, you don’t want to be juggling too many pens when using the brush markers. Sketching for plein air painting is more about shapes, value, and design than a beautiful linear drawing. Because value is so important, I also do a tonal underpainting, which I consider part of the drawing process. I re-create my thumbnail design in oils on my canvas to make sure my drawing and values are correct when I begin to paint. Because no amount of detail will save me if the big shapes are off, I block in those first. With this process, it’s easy to move things around before committing to a composition with thick paint. If the underpainting isn’t working, I can wipe it out easily with some Gamsol and a paper towel and start over. The Gamsol or mineral spirits dry quickly and allow for the thicker layers of color to be added on top without becoming muddy. Once I’m happy with the underpainting, I can quickly paint in the colors, keeping to the values and design I established. 82
DEMONSTRATION:
Crafting a Compelling Composition A view of the scene I first walk around a location and take photos of possible subjects. I use the small viewfinder on my cell phone to help narrow down my choices. On this visit to the Mission San Juan Capistrano, I am drawn to a bright red flower framed by the backlit arch.
Step 1 With my subject selected, I make a few quick thumbnail sketches to explore different compositions and orientations, eliminating anything that isn’t necessary for what I want to say in the painting. I like the square format because it emphasizes the arch and flower while keeping the dynamic lines that lead the eye there.
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
Step 2 I use a light marker to begin a more detailed drawing. Once the lines are where I want them, I can go over them with a darker pen. When using a Micron marker, I use less pressure and turn the pen sideways to make light marks. You can see my two-point perspective lines extending outside the frame. I also have the approximate golden mean hash marks outside the frame to help guide me with my placement of the shapes.
Step 3 I finish the three-value sketch using brush markers in numbers 2, 3, and, 5. I will refer to this sketch often as I paint to make sure I maintain the light and shadow pattern I saw at the start.
Step 5 To create a tonal value sketch on my panel, I use three colors: transparent red oxide or burnt sienna, French ultramarine blue, and titanium white. The three colors thinned with Gamsol create a neutral gray. Using just the blue and brown creates a black. I start with a mid-gray to draw my design. I use these colors because I can create a cooler gray with more blue and a warmer gray with more brown. While value is the most important element at this stage, I may also start thinking about warm and cool colors.
Step 4 I now tone the entire panel with cadmium red light, titanium white, and Indian yellow thinned with Gamsol. I call this the “finger painting” part of the process, since I use a paper towel wrapped around my finger to wipe the lightest lights back to the white of the canvas. At this stage, I am simply placing the big shapes. Depending on the light on a given day, I change the color I use to tone the surface. If it had been a foggy, cool day, I would have used a cooler red like alizarin crimson with some ultramarine blue.
Final Step After blocking in the big shapes in color, I add the details. You can see the light has changed a lot in just a few hours, but I have stuck to the plan I set out in the sketch.
LISA MOZZINI-MCDILL makes a quick sketch on location. lisamozzini-mcdill.com At the Mission 2021, oil, 12 x 12 in. Private collection Plein air
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
83
the elements
Morro Beach Station, 2018, oil, 8 x 16 in., available from artist, plein air For this piece, I was attracted to the contrast of the cool hillside in shadow against the warm sand. The lit underside of the station awning made for a good focal point. The teal of the water leads the eye to the teal station, as do the tracks in the sand.
Morro Beach Station sketch
Christianos 2018, oil, 9 x 12 in. Private collection Plein air I had scouted this scene at the Paint San Clemente competition the year before. I was attracted to the beautiful eucalyptus tree and noted the great back light. Little did I know that this was a popular spot for trucks to park and take a break. At least three stopped and blocked my view during this painting. Luckily, most of the drivers were nice enough to move once I explained what I was doing. My value sketch proved invaluable, because by the time I finished painting, the light had changed significantly. Detail of bottom section 84
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
My sketching supplies
plein air salon
JUDGE’S PICKS
Jean Stern, Director Emeritus of the Irvine Museum, names the prizewinning paintings in the April competition. (LEFT) First Place: Monterey Wharf #2 — Calm Waters (oil, 30 x 30 in.) by Mark Farina (BELOW) Second Place: Meet-up at Barnies in Winter Park (oil, 16 x 20 in.) by Morgan Samuel Price
People’s Choice Award: Sun Dapples (oil, 24 x 14 in.) by Daniel Guentchev
Third Place: Calm Afternoon at Mendocino Point (oil, 12 x 16 in.) by Scott Anthony
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
85
plein air salon
‘BEST OF’ CATEGORY AWARDS
Nocturne, Sunrise, Sunset: Dreaming of D.C. (oil, 24 x 30 in.) by Kim VanDerHoek
Water: Monterey Harbor Morning (oil, 9 x 12 in.) by Bob Upton
Pastel: Mountain Fork River Rhythms (pastel, 12 x 9 in.) by Greg Stone
Figure & Portrait: A Day Like Any Other (oil, 24 x 18 in.) by Nicole Moné
Watercolor & Gouache: Bushido (watercolor, 32 x 24 in.) by Kim Minichiello Acrylic: Market Street Lights (acrylic, 8 x 8 in.) by Gil Sambrano
Oil: Catalyst (oil, 20 x 16 in.) by Jennifer McChristian
86
Floral: Bougainvillea (oil, 16 x 20 in.) by Patricia Mabie
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
Outdoor Still Life: Low Country Boil (oil, 16 x 20 in.) by Suzie Baker
Drawing: Memories of Light (pencil, 16 1/2 x 23 1/3 in.) by Milno Atelier
Artist Over 65: Inner Peace (oil, 11 x 14 in.) by Ellen Gavin
Landscape: Looking West (oil, 24 x 18 in.) by Jane Hunt
Animal & Bird: Tres Amigos (oil, 24 x 30 in.) by Laurie Kersey
Western: The Crossing (oil, 14 x 11 in.) by Laurie Kersey
Building: The Light on the Hill (oil, 11 x 14 in.) by Bob Upton
Plein Air Only: Feels Like Home (oil, 12 x 12 in.) by Elizabeth Pollie
Artist Under 30: Last Minute (oil, 24 x 48 in.) by Colter May
Vehicle: Red’s Coupe (oil, 14 x 18 in.) by Steve Wohler
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
87
plein air salon
TOP OF CLASS
Jane Bell Meyer, founder of Illume Gallery of Fine Art, gives high marks to these paintings from the May competition.
First Place: Morning Shadows at Pt. Lobos (oil, 24 x 36 in.) by Brian Blood
Second Place: Mother (oil, 20 x 30 in.) by Kathie Odom
88
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
People’s Choice Award: And Magnificently We Will Flow Into the Mystic (acrylic, 30 x 30 in.) by Philippe Giroux
Third Place: Fading Light (oil, 30 x 30 in.) by Richard Boyer
‘BEST OF’ CATEGORY AWARDS
Floral: Spring With Apple Blossoms (oil, 9 x 16 in.) by Kathy Anderson
Acrylic: Sandycove Dublin (acrylic, 10 x 14 in.) by Steve Browning
Drawing: Texas (charcoal, 24 x 24 in.) by Lon Brauer
Artist Over 65: Winter River (oil, 24 x 24 in.) by John Caggiano
Landscape: West of Town (oil, 24 x 18 in.) by Jane Hunt
Building: Homage (oil, 24 x 18 in.) by Philippe Gandiol
Animal & Bird: My Friend’s Cat (oil, 12 x 16 in.) by Ming Luke
Figure & Portrait: Serious Business at Cadboro Bay (oil, 16 x 20 in.) by Renee Brettler Nocturne, Sunrise, Sunset: Hajar Sunset (oil, 39 x 59 in.) by Matt Ryder
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
89
plein air salon
Oil: A Rare Sighting, Eastern Bison (oil, 22 x 30 in.) by John Buxton
Water: Patch and Mend (oil, 14 x 18 in.) by Bill Farnsworth
Vehicle: The Rhythm of Times Square (oil, 18 x 24 in.) by Tony D’Amico
Western: Cinching Up (oil, 18 x 24 in.) by Laurie Kersey
Plein Air Only: A New View From the Roof (oil, 24 x 24 in.) by Charles Newman
Outdoor Still Life: Found in Agios Pavlos (watercolor, 15 x 22 in.) by George Politis
Watercolor & Gouache: June (watercolor, 14 x 19 in.) by Petya Taneva
Pastel: My Wild Irish Rose (pastel, 20 x 16 in.) by William A. Schneider
90
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
The 11th annual PleinAir Salon consists of 12 monthly contests from April 2021 to March 2022. The awards will be presented in May 2022 at the Plein Air Convention & Expo in Santa Fe, New Mexico. First, Second, and Third Place, along with the category winners of each monthly contest, are automatically entered into the annual competition. First prize in the annual Salon is $15,000 cash and the publication of the winning image on the cover of PleinAir Magazine, along with a feature story. Second Place earns an artist $3,000 and an article in the digital edition of PleinAir Magazine. Third Place yields $1,500 in cash, with three Honorable Mentions and a People’s Choice Award taking home $500 each. Artists also earn cash for the top prizes in the monthly contests. First Place winners receive $600, with $300 going to Second Place and $100 each going to Third Place and the People’s Choice. All types of paintings are eligible and do not need to have been completed in plein air, but should originate from a plein air study or plein air experience. pleinairsalon.com
plein air events
Eric Rhoads surrounded by a group of attendees
Y
CELEBRATING 10 YEARS IN THE ADIRONDACKS beautiful waterfalls and greenery; it’s unlike any other place in America.” To celebrate the 10th anniversary, the event kicked off with a cocktail party, where returning artists and first-timers got to know one another. Every day after began with a community breakfast before the group took off with sack lunches in hand. A daily agenda set out a variety of locations to paint as a group, although some people chose to go off on their own, even hiking or climbing to get a “perfect” view. A favorite spot was the exact location where the painters of the famous Hudson River School stood and painted the landscape en plein air. This year the group also visited Asgard Farm, the previous home of Rockwell Kent. The owners welcomed the artists to paint on the property, take a tour, and visit Kent’s art studio in the nearby woods. At the end of each day, everyone brought their new works together. This year, with 106 artists in attendance, there were well over 1,000 paintings in the final collection. Most
ears ago, PleinAir Magazine publisher Eric Rhoads found himself in conversation with a group of artists at the Carmel Art Festival. They were lamenting the fact that it was rare for a group of artists to just hang out together at a plein air event; most are too busy painting for competition and trying to sell their works. Thus was sparked the idea for the annual Publisher’s Invitational. The vision was specific: to have an environment where amateur and star artists could gather to paint in nature together — not a workshop, but a symbiotic relationship where people help one another, whether by sharing a tip or simply by creating a great memory while painting. “I called it a Publisher’s Invitational,” says Rhoads, “but no invitation was required. I wanted anybody to be able to come, no matter what their experience, even brand new painters.” For the past 10 years, the Invitational has been held in the Adirondacks. “It’s a protected park that many people aren’t even aware exists,” says Rhoads. “It’s mountainous, with
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
91
plein air events
artists averaged two paintings per day, with the exception of Tarryl Gabel, who created up to five or six, painting from sunrise to sunset. Evenings included dinner together, followed by portrait painting and the enjoyment of live music led by Rick Wilson and others. This year, renowned painter C.W. Mundy sat in with his banjo.
T
Parting day brought tears and hugs. Everyone had made new friends; some even credited the experience with changing their lives. “What a glorious way to celebrate our emergence from quarantine — beautiful landscapes that felt like they were right off a postcard; plenty of warm, kind, and interesting people; creativity from dawn to nightfall;
all with a few guitars and banjos throw in, and the chance to sing with this fabulous group of new friends,” says Debbie Underberg Mueller. “I left with 18 new paintings and countless memories of the experience.” Visit publishersinvitational.com to reserve your spot at the 11th annual Publisher’s Invitational.
AGAINST ALL ODDS
his spring a new plein air event launched in New Bern, North Carolina. “The interesting thing about this event is that it happened at all,” says artist juror Nancy Tankersley. “Planning for it started two years ago when new New Bern part-time resident and artist Kippy Hammond approached the local arts council about putting on a plein air event. Luke-
warm at first, they began to get excited about the possibilities when COVID stopped them in their tracks. The event was cancelled twice, but Kippy kept in contact with the participating artists, and when she couldn’t get a commitment from the arts council for May, she went ahead with it herself. “She rented space in the local farmers market, designed displays out of loading pallets that she got
Thomas Bucci and Greg Barnes painting the shrimp boats from the dock at Oriental Harbor
Nancy Tankersley and Kippy Hammond
92
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
from the family business, called on family and friends, partnered with the Young Professionals and the Chamber of Commerce, and got it done. I think the story here is that for a plein air event to happen, there has to be at least one person with a vision and the passion to see it through.” Hammond is quick to acknowledge that she didn’t do it alone. Thanks to a group of volunteers who kept the budget to a minimum, a supportive roster of nationally recognized artists, a surprise donor who came forward right before the event, and decent sales — at last check, they had sold 40 paintings, ranging from $500 to $4,500 — “the 2022 event will begin with a full sail,” she says.
CEDARBURG MARKS 20 YEARS
T
he last-minute lifting of Wisconsin COVID restrictions coupled with great weather made for a relaxed, well-attended Paint Cedarburg Plein Air this June. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the event sponsored by the Cedarburg Artists Guild, 155 artists from around the country submitted 359 paintings to the competition. This year’s awards included Best in Show for Sunrise at the Farm by Andy Fletcher, Second Place for Dream Above the Slag by Troy Tatlock, and Third Place for Cedarburg Mill by Richie Vios. Awards for Best of Cedarburg went to Bethann Moran-Handzlik, Mary Klisch, and Bob Beck. The Paint the Lake Award went to James Faecke, and Artist Choice Awards to Steve Puttrich, Richie Vios, Andy Fletcher, and Frankie Johnson. Honorable mentions were presented to Hector Acuna, Les Leffingwell, Paula Swayden Grebel, and Stephen Wysocki. Also at the gathering, artist Sandra Pape was honored for founding the event and for her tremendous support through the years.
Sunrise at the Farm by Andy Fletcher
(FAR LEFT) Dream Above the Slag by Troy Tatlock • (LEFT)Cedarburg Mill by Richie Vios
ATLANTA EXTENDS A WARM WELCOME
T
his April, 34 top plein air painters captured the natural beauty of Georgia’s coast, mountains, and forested landscapes, as well as Atlanta’s cityscapes and historic neighborhood, for the 7th Annual Olmsted Plein Air Invitational. Patrick Lee took home Best in Show for What Remains and Best Sense of Mystery Award for Variation on an Orchestra Pit. Other awards included Cézanne | Best Light in the Landscape for Essence of Deepdene by Christine Lashley; Best Nocturne (sponsored by Leslie Lobell and Eric Timsak) for Marietta Diner by Doug Clarke; Best Painting in Atlanta’s Olmsted Linear Park for Deepdene Escape by Patrick Saunders; Founders | Vanishing
(LEFT) Olena Babak painting on location • (RIGHT) Visitors taking in the art on display
Landscape Award for The Old Farmstead by Jason Sacran; Best Architecture for Sunday Morning in Georgetown by Stewart White; Matisse | Award of Excellence for Reverence by Carole
Gray-Weihman; Bill Selman Memorial | Spirit of Atlanta for Reflections of Atlanta by Olena Babak; Best Use of Color for Entrance Path by Tara Will; Petite Plein Air Artists Choice Award for August Sturgeon Moon by Crista Pisano; Judges Awards of Merit for Waiting to Open by Thomas Bucci, Sage Skies by DK Palecek, and A Dappled Stroll by Steven Walker; PaintQuick Best in Show Chateau Elan for Sargents Lessons Applied by Tim Kelly; and PaintQuick Best in Show Ansley Park for Morning by Palden Hamilton.
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
93
Expanded Digital Edition Content
DAWN TO DUSK In a compelling new series that puts viewers at the heart of the gardens, English painter Lucy Marks captures the cycle of a day at Petworth House and Park.
I
n July, Sussex-based artist Lucy Marks unveiled a new body of work — 50 paintings in oil and watercolor — inspired by an iconic National Trust site in England. Nestled in the South Downs, Petworth House is best known for its landscaped park and its fine art collection, including works by John Constable and J.M.W. Turner — two masters Marks draws inspiration from. “The title of the exhibition, ‘Dawn to Dusk,’ is a nod to Turner, who regularly visited and painted Petworth,” Marks explains. “His work featured sunsets and sunrises in both watercolor and oil. As a landscape painter, I too wanted to capture the cycle of a day at Petworth, from its dreamy sunrises to its gentle and dramatic sunsets.” “Yes, we can see echoes of Turner and Constable” says Anthony J. Lester, member of the International Association of Art Critics and The Critics’ Circle, “but Marks’ images are
ABOUT THE ARTIST
LUCY MARKS holds an M.A. in Fine Art from Brighton University and works and exhibits on the South Coast. Her work as a landscape painter focuses on capturing the energy of the environment in a nonrepresentational way. Her process is to work directly from the landscape, either painting en plein air or sketching, then creating the final piece in her studio. An associate member of the Royal Watercolour Society, Marks has won a number of awards including the Humphrey’s Purchase Prize at the ING Discerning Eye exhibition. She has shown work with The Royal Institute of Oil Painters, The Sunday Times Watercolour Competition, The Royal Society of Marine Artists, the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour, The Society of Women Artists and more. Marks is also a member of the Hesketh Hubbard Society. lucymarks.co.uk
August-September 2021 / outdoorpainter.com
certainly not flaccid imitations. Far from it, for she has developed a highly distinctive style that is intensely personal.” The series will be featured in a solo exhibition, “Dawn to Dusk,” in the Servants’ Quarters Gallery, Petworth House and Park, through September, 19, 2021.
THE ARTIST’S PROCESS Marks starts by working en plein air, drawing sketches in watercolor and oil from the landscape, then creates the final piece in her studio, Summer Sun 2020, oil, 47 x 47 in. Available from artist Plein air and studio
removing any superfluous indication of representation or figuration. More a free interpretation than a hyperrealistic depiction, Marks’ work allows viewers to make their own interpretation of Petworth Park, and invites them to view the 17thcentury site in a new light. “Walking round the show is a bit like exploring the park and gardens,” according to the artist. “There are leafy quiet spots through to majestic sweeps of wildness, some tight and busy areas and some more relaxed open areas.”
Expanded Digital Edition Content Champagne Sparkle 2020, oil, 19 1/2 x 19 1/2 in. Available from artist Plein air and studio
August-September 2021 / outdoorpainter.com
Expanded Digital Edition Content
(LEFT) Misty Dawn 2020, oil, 47 1/4 x 47 1/4 in. Available from artist Plein air and studio (BELOW LEFT) The Rotunda Under Blue Skies 2020, oil, 7 4/5 x 7 4/5 in. Available from artist Plein air and studio (BELOW RIGHT) The Cedars 2020, oil, 9 4/5 x 9 4/5 in. Available from artist Plein air and studio
August-September 2021 / outdoorpainter.com
Expanded Digital Edition Content
Deer Park and Sunlit Skies 2020, watercolor, 11 4/5 x 11 4/5 in. Available from artist Plein air and studio
August-September 2021 / outdoorpainter.com
Expanded Digital Edition Content Golden Dawn 2020, oil, 47 x 78 7/10 in. Available from artist Plein air and studio
Golden Dusk 2020, oil, 47 x 78 7/10 in. Available from artist Plein air and studio
(BELOW LEFT) Late Sunset Over the Land 2020, watercolor, 11 4/5 x 11 4/5 in. Available from artist Plein air and studio (BELOW RIGHT) Early Spring 2020, oil, 7 4/5 x 9 4/5 in. Available from artist Plein air and studio
Setup for Valentine’s Day: Winter Bridge August-September 2021 / outdoorpainter.com
Expanded Digital Edition Content Petworth Days 2020, watercolor, 21 1/2 x 21 1/2 in. Available from artist Plein air and studio
Trees at Dawn 2020, watercolor, 11 4/5 x 11 4/5 in. Available from artist Plein air and studio
August-September 2021 / outdoorpainter.com
WINNER
PleinAir Magazine AWARD OF EXCELLENCE AT THE 2021 BEST & BRIGHTEST
Painted by Margaret Licosati For commissioned work, contact painter@licosati.com.
2021 Third Annual EstesValley Plein Air Show
Art Center of Estes Park
517 Big Thompson Ave., Unit 245 • www. .com • 970-586-5882
94
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
JOH NLASATERART.COM P. L A S/ VIDEOS AT ER IV
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
95
Hierarchy Oil on Panel 16 x 12”
October 23–30, 2021 SedonaPleinAirFestival.org Main Street Paintout October 23 & 30, 2021! Festival Artists: Krystal Brown Betty Carr Casey Cheuvront Christine Debrosky Eileen Guernsey Brown
96
Michelle Held Peggy Immel Natasha Isenhour Margaret Larlham Carolyn Lindsey Gretchen Lopez
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
Laura Martinez-Bianco Susan Hediger Matteson Lilli-anne Price Hadley Rampton
Kari Ganoung Ruiz Manon Sander Elizabeth St Hilaire Susie Hyer Paula Swain Ellie Wilson
Bill Cramer Ed Buonvecchio Jerrel Singer John Potter Barbara Mulleneaux Michelle Usibelli
vladislav yeliseyev
CROATIA CZECH REPUBLIC RUSSIA www.YeliseyevFineArt.com
9 4 1
3 3 0
6 8 6 5
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
97
Randall Scott Harden
Workshops Available Studio & Plein Air Oil Painting Instruction
randallscottharden.com
PHOTO BY HUNTER STROUD
98
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
www.pleinairartistscolorado.com Join Plein Air Artists Colorado (PAAC)!
PAAC was created for the love of plein air painting and for members to enjoy the camaraderie of painting outdoors. A founding principal is that PAAC creates opportunities for artists to paint outdoors together on a regular basis. Our annual juried exhibit offers examples of excellence in painting that can be achieved 'en plein air – and we have been showing strong for 25 years!
Sheila Marie
Jeanne Echternacht
Patty Dwyer
Mary Pat Ettinger
Jennifer Riefenberg
Recharged & Revitalized!
23rd Annual
Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational
October 2nd - October 10th, 2021
Laguna Breaker by Don Demers / 2020 Best In Show
MON / OCTOBER 4 Plein Talk - Ask the Artists Q&A w/panel of Invitational Artists at Festival of Arts
Suzie Baker Richard Boyer Carl Bretzke John Budicin Saim Caglayan Rick J Delanty Gil Dellinger Don Demers Jed Dorsey
SUN / OCTOBER 3 Quick Draw Paint Out 35 Artists Paint Laguna In 2 Hours! Meet the Artists and Quick Draw Auction of Freshly Painted Works at theLaguna Beach Festival of Arts
ARTISTS
Bill Farnsworth Mark Fehlman Tatyana Fogarty Kathleen Hudson Jane Hunt Debra Huse Ryan Jensen Paul Kratter Shuang Li
Calvin Liang Daniel Marshall David Marty Jim McVicker Fernando Micheli Terry Miura Dan Mondloch Ned Mueller Michael Obermeyer
Scott W Prior Anthony Salvo Aaron Schuerr Jeff Sewell Mark Shasha Michael Situ Barbara Tapp Jove Wang
TICKETS ON SALE NOW: lpapa.org/laguna-plein-air-invitational
SAT / OCTOBER 9 Collector’s Gala & Art Show Premiere at the Festival of Arts
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
99
CATHERINE HILLIS
Albert Handell in his Santa Fe Studio
Preserving a moment in time... traditional art with a twist!
Studio visits welcomed! 1109 Don Gaspar Ave. Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505 Studio/Workshop/Gallery Phone (Cell) 505-603-1524
Plenty of Pelicans at Mile 13, 28” x 20”, Watercolor
Anderson Fine Art Gallery Saint Simons Island, Georgia
Main Street Gallery Annapolis, Maryland
www.catherinehillis.com catherine.h.hillis@gmail.com
100
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
Jupiter Beach Park
16 x 20
Oil on canvas
TED MATZ FINE ART For information on artwork, classes and workshops, online and in-person visit
www.tedmatzfineart.com
Lana Ballot
Laurel
PSA, IAPS/MC
Signature Member of The American Society of Marine Artists
Daniel
2021 Pastel Live Faculty
Dusty Berries, 18 x 18, Oil
Online Course: Painting Waves With Pastels Pastel Classes and Workshops
See website for upcoming workshops and events...
www.laureldaniel.com | 512.632.4166
Gallery inquiries welcome. lana@lanaballot.com • lanaballot.com
Restoration, 11 x 14” oil
Lamya Deeb lamyadeebfineart.com Aug. 2- Sept. 3 “Close to Nature’s Heart” Invitational Turner Fine Art, Jackson, WY
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
101
Kim Casebeer
Nature’s Drama, oil on linen, 30x40 Available through Mountain Trails Gallery, Jackson WY “Fields of Home”
16x20
FOR 2021 WORKSHOP SCHEDULE GO TO:
DonnaBland.com
artspeaks4u@gmail.com • 210-885-8549
Learn from an award-winning artist, 20 years teaching experience, pastel and oil. AWA Master Signature, and OPA and PSA Signature Member. Visit
www.kimcasebeer.com
for 2021 Workshops, Exhibits, and Beautiful Art!
LOUISE POND louisepondfineart.com
Cecy Turner
AIS AWA NOAPS NWS PAAC OPS APA WAOW (PAST PRESIDENT) Oil Painters of America Salon Exhibition through 8/7 Estes Valley Plein Air 8/28 through 9/26 www.cecyturner.com • cecy@cecyturner.com Standing Tall Oil on Linen 20 x 16”
102
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
“Arch Rock” Soft Pastel 16x20
Representation and Painting Workshops offered at Twisted Fish Gallery Elk Rapids, MI twistedfishgallery.com 231-264-0123
Diane Lary
CAROLYN LINDSEY Find the Outpost Artist painting in her back yard, teaching classes at Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens or if you are not in South Florida go to: outpostartist.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/OutpostArtist/
CAROLYNLINDSEY.COM
LINDSEYCJ@PLATEAUTEL.NET Fun Art for Life
Petes Place, oil, 12 x 9
LINDA RICHICHI
BARB WALKER
Signature Member of Pastel Society of America
Kayak Colors
Table for Two 9x12 oil on linen
9” x 12”, Pastel on Ampersand Pastelbord Available through 530 Burns Gallery, Sarasota, FL
Camden Falls Gallery • Camden, ME
2021 WORKSHOPS: Fall 2021: Sarasota, FL
barbwalkerpaintings.com
ONGOING ONLINE COURSES: • Color Sense • Landscape Alchemy
barbwalker@barbwalkerpaintings.com
info@RichichiArt.com • 845.527.1146 • www.LindaRichichi.com
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
103
HALE TROTTER
BEVERLY YANKWITT
w w w. h a l e t r o t t e r f i n e a r t . c o m
Lunar Light, 15” X 22” Acrylic on Watercolor Paper
Mountain Skies 24x30 oil
Represented by Sea Grape Gallery, Punta Gorda, FL
McGraw Gallery • Hot Springs, VA Lindor Arts Gallery • Roanoke, VA
941.276.9022 | Bev.yankwitt@gmail.com Instagram & Facebook: Art_by Bev Yankwitt Happy 50th Anniversary Florida Watercolor Society!
DIANE FECHENBACH
Canyon Rocks, 12 x 9”, Pastel and watercolor underpainting
Lightnshadowstudio.com • diane@lightnshadowstudio.com
104
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
KEVIN BARTON 2021 Paint Grand Traverse Artist OUTDOOR PAINTERS SOCIETY ~AND~ KERR ARTS AND CULTURAL CENTER PRESENTS
PAINT KERRVILLE! A Plein Air Competition Event
This is a non-juried membership paint out competition event presented by the Outdoor Painters Society and Kerr Arts And Cultural Center, Kerrville, Texas.
D.H. Day Farm at Twilight, 9”x12”, Oil on Linen
May 22-25, 2021 Kerrville, Texas
Somebody’s Gallery Petoskey MI Mackinac’s Little Gallery Mackinac Island MI
To Learn More: Outdoorpainterssociety.com
www.kevinbartonartist.com • bartonart1@gmail.com
SANDHYA SHARMA
Old Haven, Adirondacks, Oil on Linen 11”x14”
UPCOMING EVENT AND EXHIBITION: Estes Valley Plein Air 2021, Estes Park CO | August-September 2021
REPRESENTED BY:
Highlandtown Gallery. Baltimore MD | www.highlandtowngallery.com
sandhyasharmafineart.com
sandhya@sandhyasharmafineart.com • 202.290.9576
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
105
SANDI PILLSBURY
River Canterrane: French Pyrennes oil over acrylic, 12” x 24” (Plein air study)
Represented by: Olde Towne Galleries Duluth, MN • Jaques Art Center Aitkin, MN • Yellow Bird Gallery Duluth, MN Participant and Curator for the 10th Annual Lake Superior 20/20 Studio & Art Tour www.lakesuperior2020.com authenticartist@sandipillsbury.com • www.sandipillsbury.com
Available for workshops and private lessons
EXPERIENCE ART FROM BEHIND THE SCENES
Waltz Through the Art Treasures of Vienna, Berlin, and Dresden With Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine Fine Art Connoisseur Editor-in-Chief Peter Trippi and Founder Eric Rhoads will lead the magazine’s 11th annual art tour through Vienna and Berlin, with an optional post-trip to Dresden. Fine Art Connoisseur is known for its exquisite behind-the-scenes art trips for collectors and those who deeply appreciate art. See art differently, from the perspective of our editors, who have unparalleled access to places and professionals to make your experience a lifetime memory, Plus you’ll develop deep friendships with like-minded art aficionados. Your Hosts, Publisher Eric Rhoads and Editor Peter Trippi
ATTENDANCE IS LIMITED TO 25 COUPLES OR 50 PEOPLE TOTAL, SINGLES AND COUPLES. BOOK NOW. RESERVE YOUR SPOT NOW
FineArtTrip.com
MAIN PROGRAM: VIENNA, AUSTRIA AND BERLIN, GERMANY • OCTOBER 16-30, 2021
Contact Gabriel Haigazian with The CTP Group / telephone: 818.444.2700 106
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
•
e-mail: gabriel@thectpgroup.com
BARBARA TAPP
Sheryl Knight
WATERCOLORS A NARRATIVE PAINTER
Joy of Autumn, 20x30, oil on linen Available at Sherri Jurey Designs, Santa Barbara, CA 805.259.5018 Sunflower Season, Winters CA 9x12 Watercolor
www.sherylknight.com
Frank Bette Plein Air Painout • Alameda CA • Aug 2 -7
Nancy Dodds Gallery, Carmel, CA • Sandz Gallery, Pismo Beach, CA Park Street Gallery, Paso Robles, CA • Bronze, Silver, and Gold Gallery, Cambria, CA Solvang Fine Arts, Solvang, CA • Gallery Los Olivos, Los Olivos, CA
Laguna Plein Air Invitational • Laugna Beach CA • Oct 3-10
www.barbaratappartist.com 510-520-8383
CALL TO ARTISTS
Juried Competition with Judge: Mark Boedges
8th Annual March 12-18, 2022
Best of Show 2021 Shallow Draft by Phil Sandusky
Shadows-On-The-Teche
New Iberia, Louisiana • $10,000 in Cash Prizes Submission Deadline: November 1, 2021 337.369.6446 • www.ShadowsOnTheTeche.org
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
107
Award Winning Artist Workshops.com
Highland Lakes Creative Arts & The City of Marble Falls, TX present
Paint the Town 2022
Charlotte, NC
2021 Best of Show, Randall Cogburn 15th Annual Plein Air Juried Competition Judge - Tim Newton
John Cosby
Oil “Seaside Village Landscapes” Oct 4-7
April 24- April 30, 2022 Call For Artists • Registration www.hlcarts.com/artist
Randall Sexton
$12,000 In Cash & Prizes
Oil “Landscape Plein Air” | Oct 20-23
Larry Moore
Oil, Gouache, Acrylic - “ABSTRACT” Oct 27-30
2022 Workshops
MARY BENT Z GIL KERS O N
Camille Przewodek, Brienne M. Brown, Nancy Tankersley, Christine Lashley, Debra Huse
The cure for claustrophobia.
Marsh Sunset, oil on panel
G I N A T B R L E C E
N T E
S A R Y E
) 2 1 2 0 1 0 1 ( 2
IAL SPECSUE IS S LOR PAINTER D ERCO AIR WORL WAT TOP PLEINND THE
10 ER , AROU BR AU FROM LO N , ALINE ER , ES O QU ILL NT ILL AN GRIEG HE N SA NN Y DAVE AN , DA ED VE AL ORDM S RE NN ER N WI LO AL SA AN NU ST EP
N E Z I G A M A
Catch the color & light! Make strong, compelling paintings both you and your audience will love!
Southport, NC Oct. 4 -7, 2021
4shirleyart@gmail.com
Bring the outside into your home.
800-610-5771 | pleinairmagazine.com Safe Harbor (oil, 30 x 40 in.) by Lori Putnam
108
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
JU LY
20 21
Online Courses & Workshops marygilkerson.com/learn2021
En Plein Air Pro Inspiration is out there!
Serving the creative community since 1998
~ NEW Pastel Package ~ All of our packages are lightweight, portable and assemble in minutes!
Perfect for workshops & travel • Made in the USA
www.EnPleinAirPro.com
Visit us online $
ArtFrames.com
18.95 flat rate shipping • Custom sizes available on all frames
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
109
Just Released on DVD and Digital Download. 110
Visit today: LiliArtVideo.com • 877-867-0324
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
Artist Improvement Tools. Bold Brushwork
Heads & Hands
Kathie Odom
Mastering Pastels
William A Schneider
Albert Handell
NEW!
Sketchscapes From Study to Studio
Painting Greens In Oil
Dramatic Light
Albert Handell
Kim Casebeer
Dawn Whitelaw
NEW!
NEW!
No Fear Oil Painting
Understanding the Effects of Light
Lyn Boyer
Light, Motion & Drama Nancy Boren
Debra Joy Groesser
Want to be a better painter? Grow faster with guidance from top painters. Watch online or on DVD.
4 EASY WAYS TO ORDER NOW! ONLINE LiLiArtVideo.com PHONE 1-877-867-0324
FAX 1-561-655-6164 E-MAIL info@LiLiPubs.com
97Tips.com
L FREE DIGIATDA DOWNLO
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
111
Join our sales team. þ You enjoy talking with other artists þ You enjoy helping people solve problems þ You are a creative thinker þ You love a good challenge þ You are politely persistent
WOMEN IN PLEIN AIR
A CANDID LOOK AT THE REWARDS AND CHALLENGES OF BEING FEMALE IN THE FIELD THOMAS W. SCHALLER, TARA WILL TOM HUGHES, RICHARD MCDANIEL LYN BOYER, MARK FEHLMAN
M A G A Z I N E
OFFICIAL CONVENTION ISSUE
MAY 2020
Excellent compensation. Work from home. For opportunities go to careers.streamlinepublishing.com
Directory of Advertising Alexandria Museum ........................................11
Handell, Albert .............................................100
Neese, Susan....................................................28
Anderson, Marc...............................................29
Harden, Randall Scott .....................................98
New Iberia Parish Convention & Visitors
Art Center of Estes Park, Estes Valley
Hassard, Ray ...................................................97
Bureau, Shadows-on-the-Teche Plein Air
Plein Air ..........................................................94
Heilman Designs ...........................................109
Competition..................................................107
ArtFrames.com ..............................................109
Heublein, Theodore ......................................108
Outdoor Painters Society/Plein Air
Award Winning Artist Workshops .................108
Highland Lakes Creative Arts/Paint the Town
Southwest......................................................105
Ballot, Lana ...................................................101
Marble Falls...................................................108
PAP-SE Plein Air Painters of the Southeast .....13
Barkai, Michal .................................................20
Hillis, Catherine ............................................100
Pastel Society of America .................................15
Barton, Kevin ................................................105
Houston, Amanda .........................................107
Pastel Society of the West Coast ......................95
Basham, Jill .......................................................6
Howard, Ellen .................................................28
Plein Air Artists Colorado ...............................99
Bayus, Lynn (Dunbar) .....................................25
Huse Skelly Fine Art Gallery .............................5
Richichi, Linda..............................................103
Bland, Donna................................................102
Joe, Timothy M...............................................19
Ritter, Susan Bunce .........................................25
Bluff Strokes ..................................................105
Joyce, Shawn Dell............................................20
Roberts, Robin ................................................24
Bodnar, Christine ............................................17
Judson’s Art Outfitters .....................................14
Royal Talens North America, Inc. ..................116
Briggs, Cindy ................................................104
Klenczar, Linda ...............................................24
Sander, Manon ................................................27
Brown, Anne Blair...........................................26
Knight, Sheryl ...............................................107
Savage, Marsha Hamby ...................................19
Brown, Brienne M. .......................................101
La Tourette’s Gallery ......................................109
Scott, Alexia ....................................................28
Brown, Krystal ..............................................106
Laguna Plein Air Painters Association ..............99
Sedona Arts Center/Sedona Plein Air
Byrne, Michele ................................................29
Larkin, Alan ....................................................23
Festival ............................................................96
Casebeer, Kim ...............................................102
Larry Cannon Watercolors ................................2
Sharma, Sandhya ...........................................105
City of Virginia Beach ...................................115
Lary, Diane....................................................103
Shaun Horne Gallery ........................................9
Clement, Tobi ...................................................4
Lasater IV, John P. ...........................................95
Silvia, Nancy ...................................................18
Crooked Tree Arts Center/Paint Grand
Leeper, Christopher .........................................22
Sneary, Richard ...............................................25
Traverse ...........................................................22
Licosati, Margaret............................................94
Tapp, Barbara ................................................107
Daniel, Laurel ...............................................101
Lilly, Nancy .....................................................16
Thayer, Kate ....................................................18
Davis, Mary Ann .............................................24
Lindsey, Carolyn ...........................................103
Trotter, Hale..................................................104
Deeb, Lamya .................................................101
Lyme Academy.org ............................................7
Turner, Cecy..................................................102
En Plein Air Pro ............................................109
Martin, Jody....................................................17
Twisted Fish Gallery ......................................102
Fechenbach, Diane ........................................104
Matteson, Susan Hediger.................................27
Vincent, James K.............................................16
Fehlman, Mark................................................29
Matz, Ted ......................................................100
Wagner, Jill Stefani ..........................................18
Frisk, Gary ......................................................23
McIntosh, Mary Olivia....................................29
Wagner, Jill Stefani ..........................................24
Gage Academy of Art ......................................98
Mehaffey, Mark ...............................................25
Walker, Barb..................................................103
Gephart, Susan Nicholas .................................19
Merfeld-Batson, Lorie .....................................17
Walker, Marti ..................................................16
Gilkerson, Mary ............................................108
Mertz, Nancie King .........................................20
Westerfield, David ...........................................23
Gredzens, Sandra Pillsbury ............................106
Monk, Mary....................................................18
Wood, Joli Ayn................................................28
Groesser, Debra Joy .........................................23
Mueller, Debbie ..............................................96
Yankwitt, Beverly ..........................................104
Guess-Fisher Gallery........................................22
Mutti, Linda....................................................20
Yeliseyev, Vladislav ..........................................97
www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2021
113
postcards from the road
Avalanche Creek, 2021, oil, 18 x 24 in., available from Lilli-anne Price Contemporary Fine Art, plein air
NEVER THE SAME AGAIN
T
his March I timed a stay in between snowstorms in Yosemite National Park for four days with my son, Troy,” says Lillianne Price. “We had not seen each other much during the pandemic and really needed some ‘us’ time. “On the drive back from Yosemite Valley to our cabin in Wawona, I spotted the scene that inspired Avalanche Creek. We pulled onto a turnout near Badger Pass at 6,500 feet just as a storm was approaching. I worked quickly to block in the values before the landscape disappeared in a total whiteout. “It snowed through the night, and when we drove back to the turnout the next day we found it piled high with snow. You have to catch an inspiring scene when you can because it will never be the same again; it’s the reason why I plein air paint.”
114
August-September 2021 / www.outdoorpainter.com
Lilli-anne Price paints the scene in Yosemite. lilli-anneprice.com
Y KE BA
PEA CHESA
WE HAVE THE SPACE,
CREATE YOUR NEW PLACE.
Majestic ocean views. Bewildering wildlife scenes. Sunsets to swoon over. Your next work’s backdrop is here and just waiting to inspire you.
visitvirginiabeach.com
Wennie Huang Breckenridge, 2021 Pastel on sanded paper, 9x12” wenniehuang.com @wenniehuangart
Actual Half-Stick Size 7/16”dia. x 1-3/8” long
EXPLORE OUR WORLD CLASS REMBRANDT SOFT PASTELS with Half-Stick Micro Sets
Crafted in the Netherlands from the purest pigments and finest-quality kaolin clay, Rembrandt Soft Pastels are soft enough to release beautiful color — but hard enough to draw sharp lines and build multiple layers. Available at your favorite art materials retailer.
royaltalens.com Plein_Air_Advert_RSP_Aug_Sep_2021.indd 1
7/9/21 12:44 PM
The digital cure for claustrophobia. Get 25% more content with PleinAir™ Magazine Digital Edition.
Subscribe now | 800.610.5771 | PleinAirMagazine.com Fog at Back Cove, Tom Hughes, Acrylic 45 x 60 in. Private collection, Studio from plein air.
