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4.01.2012

Frame Clinic Workshop on April 22

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Beach Cottages at Sunset, Cape May

Beach Cottages at Sunset, Cape May
pastel on Pastelbord 24"x18"

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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Webpages

Please visit all my sites showing my work.

Potomac Artworks
Order Prints of my Paintings
BF Butler Photo
Workhouse Arts Center Artist Profile
Infinity Art Gallery Artist Portfolio

My Instructors

Pastels:
Alan Flattmann
Liz Haywood-Sullivan
Richard McKinley
Maggie Price
Jack Pardue
Jean Hirons
Carol Iglesias
Lynn Goldstein
Nancy Freeman
Ginger White Hergenroeder
Marilyn Gidez
Oils:
Sara Linda Poly
Scott Hutchison
John Blee
Todd Messegee
Watercolors:
Deborah Ellis
Jan Taylor-Day
Colored Pencils:
Maggie Stiefvater
Andrew Campbell

Influences

Kenn Backhaus
Albert Handell
Richard McKinley
Liz Haywood-Sullivan
Kevin McPherson
Andrew McDermott
Camille Przewodek
Jackie Simmonds
Barry Watkin

DC Area Plein Air Sites


These are some local places for landscape painting; most are within an hour of the Beltway. Look here for the complete album, a couple hundred views from my photography collection, which are mapped here.

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In other words, please don't steal my stuff.
 

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