Workhouse Instructor, Student, Staff Show ~ Potomac Artworks

1.15.2011

Workhouse Instructor, Student, Staff Show

This is my third time to participate in this annual show which highlights the heart of the Workhouse community.

You are cordially invited to the Opening Reception on Sunday, January 16 from 2 to 4pm. It is located upstairs in W-16. Check out my four pieces downstairs in the main gallery as well.

The show runs through January 29.

Beehive Oven
pastel
8x12

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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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1.15.2011