Something Hot at ArtSquare, Leesburg ~ Potomac Artworks

8.09.2012

Something Hot at ArtSquare, Leesburg

The 11th Annual Something Hot Regional Juried Show and Sale runs from August 10 - August 27, 2012 with the Opening Reception on Friday, August 10 from 5:30 - 8 pm. It is at ArtSquare at 12 Cardinal Park Drive SE in Leesburg.

I had not exhibited in Leesburg prior to this show, so I am very happy to expand toward this venue. Just finished, "Morning Drive" was juried in. The philosophy of the juror, within the overall topic, concerned action because of the heat or action chosen to beat the heat. My interpretation of this theme was this pastel of a sticky, humid morning, based on a photograph I'd taken several years. The weather is "close" to use a Virginia term.

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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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8.09.2012