WOW! What can I say about painting on location. I could spend a week on this subject and still not do it justice. For you painters out there, if you haven't tried painting "en plein air" (French for - "in the open air") then you are truly missing out! When I first started "plein air" painting a few years ago, I was overwhelmed with the amount of information that was getting to my eyeballs! It is as if I had been painting in the dark and someone switched on the lights. Most often I am only able to complete a small painting or color sketch before the light changes too much, but trying to "beat the light" is part of the fun. Experiencing all of the sights, sounds, and smells, as well as standing in the sun, rain, wind, or even snow- truly adds something to the paintings that come from the experience even if the painting is later finished in the studio. I will try to post often some of my "plein air" paintings and photos. Below are just a few photos from painting on location.- Enjoy!
This is my Dad (Jerry Dame Sr.) painting on a very cold winter day.
Just a word of warning. - When my Dad and I first started"plein air" painting, we found so many things to paint out there, we at times would get sucked into "Painter Zombie" -( the act of endless wandering and squinting, in and effort to find the "perfect" subject for painting.) The only known cure is to just pick up you brushes and paint. While my Dad has gotten much better, I still suffer from this affliction on a regular basis.
Above is a "nifty" little painting that I did last weekend while out painting at my Dad's house. You can see the color sketch that I did outside, and then the (nearly) finished piece 5"x7". Speaking of "nifty" - Just for fun and to say "thanks for your interest" all E-mail newsletter subscribers are eligible to win some "nifty" art prizes throughout the year. A congratulations goes out to Wayne and Jan Prigge as they are my first winners and will be receiving the above painting as soon as I get it signed. Thanks for stopping by!
-Have a great day everyone!!
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Welcome to the blog world. You'll love it! You meet so many people! I paint a lot of plein air, weather permitting. Look forward to seeing more.
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI suppose that we people here in Portugal talk about the USA, they immediately think "New York", often forgeting the great landscapes, namely the national parks, that you guys have.
Who wouldn't like to paint in the surroundings of the Hudson River, Sedonnna or Canyon de Chelly (did I write this one correctly ?).
Instead of using social websites such as Facebook and Twitter to stay behind a computer, why not use those websites to arrange plein air events with fellow artists ?
Have a nice weekend,
José