Paint Out in Herndon, Anyone? ~ Potomac Artworks

9.03.2009

Paint Out in Herndon, Anyone?

I am interested in doing this on Saturday once I get more information. Have you done the Paint Herndon in the past or are you doing it this year? Give me a holler. For one thing, I am curious what constitutes 'in and around Herndon' to figure out how much of Northern Virginia is included. Be great to paint near and frame at home in lower Fairfax County, then deliver the works up to Herndon.

Hope to see you there!

3 comments:

Leslie Perales said...: This is only the second year ArtSpace has done such a competition. Yes you can go home and paint and drive up and turn your work in (by 4 p.m.). Though you do have to go in either the night before (from 5-8 p.m.) or that day between 6 a.m. and noon to get your canvas(es) stamped. Registration is $20 and you can enter three pieces for each registrant. Judging will be at 4:30 and awards will be at 5:30. Winners will be able to display and sell artwork at the Herndon Labor Day Jazz and Wine Fest on Monday. While painting plein air in and around the Town of Herndon is encouraged it's not required. (For info call 703-956-6590 or e-mail info@artspaceherndon.com.)

-Leslie
Observer News Staff Writer

http://www.observernews.com/story08/news08/090409_artspace.html
(Competition info is toward the bottom of the page. Also, I found your page through my Google alerts. Hope this helps!); September 4, 2009 at 3:49 PM
Leslie Perales said...: Also everyone starts with blank canvasses so it's almost like a quick sketch competition. You get a few hours/half a day to complete the work.; September 4, 2009 at 3:52 PM
Bonnie said...: Thanks, Leslie. I spoke with Robin at ArtSpace yesterday and today. I plan to register in person, although there are mail and phone options.

Last year was for oils only, but this year they've opened up the media category. They want to keep it informal, so framing isn't required. However, with pastel, framing is required, so I'd need to get there early to show off the stamp on the back before finishing the framing.

Interesting that one can paint from a picture, that the subject doesn't matter. Robin said that some folks went to the Shenandoah last year to paint.

From 3-8pm tomorrow is their Block Party and participating artists are allowed a 10x10 space. The logistics of painting all day and then putting up a booth are too much for me alone, though. Maybe next year I could enlist some help.; September 4, 2009 at 5:00 PM

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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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9.03.2009