Manassas Advantage ~ Potomac Artworks

10.31.2008

Manassas Advantage

I recently mentioned painting at Manassas Battlefield with NOVAL. It was a cold and windswept day; I braved the elements with watercolorists Lou Negri, Mary Moon, and Lorrie Herman.

Because of a few days before at Fountainhead Lake, during which my head develop as a huge shadow on my paper and pastels, I decided to ensure I'd remain 100% in the shade by choosing to paint on the dark side of a huge tree trunk. When conditions are that cold and windy, suffice it to say that next time I will seek to paint in the sun!

This piece came out exactly as I wanted. Looking incredible from a short distance, it features a glorious sky along with a ground that is complete, but does not compete. The lower portion is a little more detailed and vivid than what is pictured, but this was the best way to capture the clouds. It took some studio time plus en plein air, but I am happy with it.

8x10
Wallis Belgian Mist

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The Charm of en Plein Air

Much of my work is done en plein air, French for "in the open air." People often associate it with the Impressionists, but the move to paint outside preceded them by a number of decades. The trend to appreciate landscapes as a genre at all was new for the time.

Several characteristics contribute to the distinctive beauty of en plein air painting. They are generally smaller in size in order to be able to capture a scene in a single sitting. Because of the time limit and environmental factors such as the sun and shadows moving, they often lack extensive details and might appear slightly fuzzy or unfinished. Lastly, they tend to have a freshness and spontaneity which makes them impossible to compare to traditional and methodological studio work. That said, my own studio work tends toward the same feel as en plein air, which then identifies my overall style: softness with an edge.

My aim when painting en plein air is for alla prima paintings, which roughly translates for me as "what happens outside, stays outside." It adds another level of difficulty to the work.

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10.31.2008