I've spent a lot of the last few weeks making an effort to go and work outside. The chance to learn new skills is always a motivator, of course, but there are other appealing aspects to working 'en plein air.'
A late Sunday afternoon at the Nexus Community Garden by Xavier University.
A quick stop at Coffee Emporium in Hyde Park.
Painting outside is something very new to me. I have spent a lot of time in the studio, breaking my back over tables and straining my eyes under fluorescent lighting, trying to perfect my colors and sharpen my drafting. I finally purchased a couple easels for myself-- one Julian French easel, and one 6x8 Guerilla thumbox, for smaller works and trips.
Having the essentials sitting in my car trunk at all times, I really can't find any excuses to NOT be making art.
I find that expanding my studio also means expanding my process. My sensitivity to light and shape and composition are heightened, and I am always looking for a free twenty minutes to steal away from the rest of the world and work. Coffee shops patios, nearby parks, community gardens and nature preserves have all become my workspace.
My view from a spot at Kelley Nature Preserve near Millford.
Maybe "steal away" isn't the best term. Perhaps what I should say is that I'm leaving one form of consciousness and willingly immersing myself in another. This other form of awareness encourages me to bend down and look closer, to first embrace and receive my surroundings, and then to work with them as I paint.
Emily Boutilier caught me in action. Sitting in spotty lighting wasn't a great idea for painting, but it was a lot cooler.
There are so many things I'm learning about painting plein air. So much of my training and usual process doesn't translate in this environment. I usually like to layer my paintings, but when you are working outside, layering is the kiss of death. With plein air, the best approach is to block in the entire painting at once--major colors and shapes. Admittedly, I'm not very good at this yet. But I do love working outside, and I've learned that passion and a willingness to learn tend to get you a lot farther than talent alone. I may not be comfortable with my paintings, but I'm very much okay knowing that this is only the beginning of a very long relationship I hope to have with my outdoor easels.