Remains to Be Scene ~ Potomac Artworks

7.22.2011

Remains to Be Scene

In commemoration of 150 years since the Civil War began, the Manassas Art Guild has held a juried art and photography show concerning both the event and lush Virginia. I entered five pieces and had four accepted.

The show runs at Hylton Center at GMU in Manassas from July 13 to August 13. Gallery hours are 12-6pm Wednesday through Saturday.

The entire show is seen here on Facebook. My photography blog can be visited here: bfbutlerphoto.blogspot.com.

Blandford's Arch
Metallic Ink Photograph
11x14

2 comments:

Karen Dean said...: Where did you take this photo?; October 25, 2011 at 1:04 AM
Bonnie said...: It is called the Confederate Arch and it marks where the Civil War cemetery begins at Blandford Cemetery in Petersburg VA, which is the site of the Battle of the Crater.; October 25, 2011 at 1:09 AM

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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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7.22.2011