Plein Air Afternoon

I've been wanting to do more plein air work recently, so today I took the afternoon and set out to find a suitable location to paint. It didn't take long to find a good spot. With the leaves starting to change to their autumn colors, I parked the truck and lugged my easel to an overgrown field in Goddard State Park. The warm sun felt good as I set up my easel and a young deer wandered by as if curious about my intentions.
It's funny how quickly time passes while I paint outdoors. I try to work fast hoping to capture the essence of a scene before the light changes too drastically. Today, I finally noticed I was starting to get cold and the sun was dropping behind the trees to the west. I'd been there for nearly 2 hours at that point and wished I'd brought along the sweatshirt I left in the truck.
As you can see in this last photo, the light was significantly different than it was when I started the painting. Still, I managed to get it to where I could say "done". 

I smiled as I hauled my gear back to the truck, happy with my effort. I'm looking forward to getting out there again soon!

Visual Editing at the Easel

I’m often asked if I use photos for my work. Absolutely. I shoot thousands of photos every year studying my subjects and their environment. That being said, I find myself working beyond what is seen in most of my reference photos… pushing colors, simplifying shapes, adjusting contrast, and adding (or subtracting) elements to visually balance a scene. “American Remnant” (10x8) is a wonderful example of what can be done with a reference photo that is lacking a bit for quality. After studying both images, the first thing you may notice is the sky. In the photo, the sky is pretty washed out and uninteresting. I darkened the clouds to add a bit of drama and emphasize the “grayness” of the fall day. The barn was a little too well-kept for my liking, so I eliminated the windows in the loft and removed a few boards (I can only imagine the dismay of the barn’s owner after taking care of the structure for so many years, then I come along and push it to tattered abandonment with a few brush strokes!). The overall scene has been warmed considerably which seems to bring everything to life. I added the goldenrod in the foreground to help with this warmth and separate the brush and flowers from the middleground. I drew on my plein air experience to work the goldenrod blooms into the scene. Most notably, the flowers in the foreground are larger and brighter than in the photo, giving the composition some depth. Adding to this effect, the overgrown trail leading the viewer into the scene completes the illusion.

Something Better or More of the Same?

A new year is upon us ripe with possibilities. I’ve never been one to make silly resolutions during the holiday season, but I do make a list of goals for the upcoming year (okay… maybe I make a lot of resolutions and just call them “goals”). I refer to The List often throughout the year to make sure I’m on track and nothing “important” is slipping through the cracks. The List also helps push me forward when I feel like I’m doing nothing but spinning my wheels. Picking an achievable goal and making it happen always gets my motor running again.

Here are a few highlights from The List for 2012:

• 30 finished paintings – In 2011 I managed 26 and it seemed like a lot. Still, with an expanding list of shows and a new gallery, my production level needs to stay high.


• 20 plein air attempts – Painting outdoors is an absolute treat. Of course, not all plein air paintings are successful and the bulk of my work is done in the studio. So I will push myself to just get out there and paint! No pressure… just time in the field.


• Fill a sketch book – If you’ve been reading this blog regularly, you know how important drawing is to me. It keeps me fresh and motivated. Sometimes I need to set aside time to just fill a few pages. It’s fun and helps fine tune my eye… making me really look at my subjects and understand more about them.


• Birds In Art – I’ve been a lucky man. Being part of this prestigious event for the past several years has produced many friendships and motivated me to become a better, more well-rounded artist. The weeks leading up to the April 15^th deadline are always focused on completing paintings to be submitted for this exhibit.


• Alaska! – I’ve always wanted to explore a small piece of Alaska. Each year I try to spend a couple of weeks somewhere interesting shooting reference photos and developing ideas for new paintings. If the Alaska thing doesn’t work out, the Rocky Mountain West is always doable J

Those are just a few of the more than 30 goals to make The List for 2012. It’s going to be a busy year!

Weekend Plein Air

There is something very satisfying about these plein air studies. Maybe it's just because the plein air process is so new to me. Maybe it's because it forces me to look at my subjects in a new way helping me see things I didn't notice before. Maybe it's because it so damned difficult! Whatever the reason, I'm having quite a good time with these studies. I've noticed since I started working like this, I look at the world in terms of paint and brushwork. I like the way trees meet the sky and the leaves and branches lose themselves in soft edges. It's fun to look at something and contemplate how I'd work the problem in paint. I can alos see that this will ultimately affect my acrylic work.