Behind the Scenes ~ Potomac Artworks

9.11.2010

Behind the Scenes

In a surprise move, I won an Honorable Mention at the Springfield Art Guild's show at Green Spring Garden Park. See more about the show here; the Opening is tomorrow 1-3pm.

This pastel, I now realize, wasn't shown here yet, so I will rectify that post haste. Truly hovering behind the scenes, the piece was created for the 10 MILE RADIUS show this summer using the Stan Sperlak pastel floating method, so it has a pastel underpainting that resembles a watercolor. Based on a photograph I took, it is called Behind the Scenes, because it shows the back of the Workhouse from Lorton Road at Furnace Road.

Behind the Scenes
soft pastel
9x12

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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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9.11.2010