Some confessions of a ‘plein air’ painter!

The greatest studio an artist could ever wish for is the great outdoors!

Some confessions of a ‘Plein Air’ Painter- What’s the big idea?

Artists have for centuries wanted to get outdoors and set up their easels and work outside under the hot sun.It gives the brightest light anywhere.

This is when colours are at their strongest. In the past, court painters and those with wealthy patrons, who could supply staff, this was possible, but not common. For most artists it was impossible to carry everything needed, and then to have to mix his own paints. Mixed from various earth pigments, usually in powder form with Linseed oils, or egg tempera. It wasn’t practical to do this in the field.

What changed all this, was when pre-mixed paints were put into little lead tubes, A whole rainbow, of colours, well almost, could now be easily taken outside to be used. The french impressionist painters who we all know and love today, were the pioneers of this. Here is a picture of an early plein air artist at work about 1891.

So our artist has arrived, and set up his equipment. It is a good warm and dry day with a cloudless sky, so what could possibly go wrong?

Well, almost everything actually!

Irrespective of the view, every day Is different. The light is different and it changes constantly, throughout the day and as ‘light’ is the vehicle through which we see, every time the light changes, so the colours change and the contrasts or tones change. At the same time, clouds are forming and moving across the sky, often very quickly. This in turn affects the light levels and changes the cast shadows, not only their shape or intensity, but their colours as well. Add to this, the fact that the light source also moves steadily throughout the day and well, I think you’ve got the picture!

Then someone comes up and says “That must be so very relaxing, painting” Ugh! If I had a £ every time someone said that!

So whilst I’m working at my easel, painting in a ‘relaxing’ manner, inside my head, all this is going on, how to cope with changing conditions, I can’t change with the weather, or the shadows will end up in the wrong places and at the wrong density. or the colours on  the ground won’t match the sky. Errors like this have caught out every artist from time to time. its all part of the learning experience. I hope you can’t spot any errors in this painting of mine, painted at a favourite spot in North Wales, where it usually rains.

Q Are you an artist who has tried plein air painting? I’d love to hear your story!