Plein Air Follow-through—More or Less

Well, after all my posturing about getting out of the studio and painting en plein air, I made myself do it! I mean, what could be better than a 70° autumn day in New Hampshire?

I started with a pencil sketch and quickly got bored and my back started aching. Once I sketched out the basic lines, I switched to an indelible black ink marker and wondered why I was even bothering.

The Perfectionist sitting on my shoulder, whispered, “You call yourself an artist? Is that what you call perspective? You haven’t laid down one plum line! And that, after resorting to an eraser!”

“What—you think I can’t see that?” I kept at it, telling myself that I really hate sketching. I was about to abandon my aspiration and simply call it an attempt. Then my Motivational Critic jumped in.

“What! You’re not even going to follow through and break out the paint—Oh, how pathetic are you!”

So, I cracked open my paint. After about 60 seconds, I got bored again and just wanted it to be over with, so started laying down paint more quickly (it dawned on me that this was likely what I should have been doing in the first place).

I shrugged the Perfectionist off my shoulder and heard my MC whisper, “At least you can say you tried and followed through—good for you!”

“But I don’t have to do this again, do I?”

“Well, did you have fun?”

“Not really.”

“Then why do it?”

“I don’t know— It’s such a romantic notion…I just really wanted to be the artist who could whip out my paints anywhere and produce something really stellar.”

“Why?”

“I feel as if I’m stagnating in the studio.”

“Really? But you produce some pretty remarkable stuff in there. You like it—I’ve seen how you study it afterward with satisfaction. Why can’t you be happy with that?”

“I’m not sure…”

“Well, you need to figure that out.”

“Yeah, I know…maybe I’ll carry my paints and tablet around just in case…”

Sigh. “Whatever…” 

Pushing My Envelope—En Plein Air

I haven’t painted anything in so long that I think I may have forgotten how! However, that doesn’t mean I haven’t been thinking about it. In fact, I’ve been doing better than just thinking—I’ve been planning…

Here’s the thing—As you know, I work almost exclusively in my studio, from photographs. It’s a safe and comfortable place, and I’ve done some of my best work in my cloistered environment. The problem is, I feel as if I’m beginning to stagnate. I’ve been following Bruce Sherman’s blog, Journaling With Paint, for some time. Get this—he actually goes outside and paints! That’s right—Plein Air Painting! In fact, artists have been doing it for centuries! Believe it or not, I also have done it—years ago.

 

Look! I even made a field kit! (Okay, notice the EKC latch that I ripped off an old camera case—I do so love old latches.) 

I even covered it in a nice soft leather and purchased a Windsor Newton field kit to go inside. I did use it on several occasions, but found that my discomforts outweighed the pleasure.

The problem is, I am overcome with self-consciousness if I think anyone might come along and look over my shoulder. I’m certain it has a lot to do with Dumbbell Syndrome.

Anyway, the point of this post is along the same vein of why I started this blog in the first place. I won’t use the derogatory term ‘guilt me into it’ but I know that if I post this, I am far more likely to follow through. As an incentive, I am also posting these samples of what I accomplished—or tried to—back in the mid ‘90’s.

I really muddied up the shodow on this one...

Some big old house in New Harbor or Pemaquid Maine

I like architecture

Not sure why I didn't finish this cemetary 

This one I'm actually proud of. There had been a lot of tourist traffic, but I stuck it out. Eventually, I ran out of light, but fortunately, I snapped a photo of it before I left so I could finish it up at home.  

To ease myself into it, I think I'll start with something from my own back yard...