Thursday, September 17, 2009

en plein air 'in the open air'

         
            Plein air painting is standing in the sunshine, hat snugged down to ears, sunscreen liberally applied to freckled face, and painting like crazy before the light changes. You can do this on still, beautifully sunlit mornings or windy, hot afternoons; trying your best to capture the play of light and shadow on red rocks, crumbling old barns or cactus strewn desert. Artist and nature – it can be a love-hate relationship. The light shifts, a cloud drifts and covers what moments before was a spectacular display of backlit sagebrush – oh, and ants have just marched up your socks. Add wind and weather and you can see the appeal of painting plein air.
It is a challenge for the stout hearted and valiant! (Chal•lenge - The quality of requiring full use of one’s abilities, energy, or resources.) It is especially great if you have a good painting buddy like I did last week when my friend Miri Weible and I traveled to Utah for the Spring City Arts Plein Air Competition. Spring City is a rural farming town in Sanpete County next to towns like Ephraim and Manti. Beautiful skies, pastoral landscapes, historic pioneer homes, old barns and the beautiful Manti Temple. 

Here is my pastel painting from the first day. Miri and I set up across the road from the little weathered barn and a venerable, humongous tree - a great, great grand daddy tree, full of color, movement and lively personality. This painting sold during the exhibition and won a merit award.  I named it Morning Melody. 

My plein air set up - all the comforts!
Below a view of the beautiful Manti Temple

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