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| 15 Street Rise, 8x10, oil |
I sort of have a love-hate relationship with my plein air work. A good bit of these studies get wiped down, reworked back in the studio, or just stay in my studio for reference. Occasionally I'll return home with something I feel good about, but typically I don't love what I bring back from the field.
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| Fleeting Light Along Tumalo Creek, 8x10, oil |
As I was looking back through some recent field studies, despite some of the flaws that I know are there, I notice a more genuine sense of light that I'm able to capture in those quick studies than I probably would have if I was working from only a photo of the location. Most artists who paint in the field and from photos are already aware of how photos alter values and temperature. But a genuine capture of light goes beyond that...it captures a certain authenticity of the outdoor location.
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| View From Locust Street, 8x10, oil |
I've been struggling with painting a particular spot near my home. The image that my photo captures gives me such a completely different sense of light than what I see when I'm there in person. I've tried twice to paint it on location. It's a typical high-desert area of central Oregon, with Juniper trees and sagebrush ...very different vegetation than anywhere I've ever lived before we moved here back in May. I've been going back and forth between my plein air attempts and a studio attempt, referencing the photo, but depending more on my memory of the location than the photo. I'll go back and try again. Hopefully as I live with the landscape some more, I'll better understand how to paint it.
For now, a steady practice of plein air painting--whether good or bad--proves invaluable to my studio work. I look back at studio work from just a few years ago and realize now how several more years of field studies since then have helped me better understand the landscape.
The work shown here was all painted on location within the past two months.
Upcoming Workshops:
Mt. Vernon, WA - 3-day PASTEL workshop - FULL
March 10, 11 & 12, 2016 (Fri/Sat/Sun) - these dates have shifted slightly from what was previously promoted!
Dakota Art Center
17873 State Route 536
Mount Vernon, WA 98273
$395
888-345-0067 ext. 5
Lewisburg, West VA - 3-day PASTEL workshop - FULL
April 25, 26 & 27, 2016 (Mon/Tues/Wed)
Carnegie Hall West Virginia
Kellar Art Studio
105 Church St.
Lewisburg, WV, 24901
$295/member; $400/non-member
Contact Jeanne Brenneman, 304-645-3050
Springfield, OR - 3-day PASTEL/OIL workshop
May 3, 4 & 5, 2016 (Tues/Wed/Thurs)
Emerald Art Center
500 Main Street
Springfield, OR 97477
$420/member; $445/non-member
Call 541-736-8595; www.emeraldartcenter.org
Bend, OR - 1-day PASTEL PLEIN AIR workshop
June 4, 2016 (Sat)
Plein Air Painters of Oregon
Location: Shevlin Park. Back-up studio location will be provided in case of inclement weather.
$65/member; $70 non-member
Registration will open up to non-members after March 15.
Contact Nancy Misek, 541-388-1567, nancym2010@bendbroadband.com
Bend, OR - 3-day PASTEL/OIL workshop (studio & plein air)
June 6, 7 & 8, 2016 (Mon/Tues/Wed)
"The Well Edited Landscape, Inside and Out"
Cascade Fine Art Workshops
Exact venue in Bend TBD. Plein air location will be near studio venue.
$410 before May 6 ($460 after May 6)
Contact Susan Manley at info@CascadeFineArtWorkshops.com or 541-408-5524
Lac du Flambeau, WI (northern Wisconsin) - 4-day PASTEL/OIL workshop (studio/some plein air)
June 27, 28, 29 & 30, 2016 (Mon-Thurs)
Studio & Plein Air
Dillman's Creative Arts Foundation
3305 Sand Lake Lodge Lane
Lac du Flambeau, WI 54538
This will mainly be a studio workshop, but will also include some plein air time during one of the four days. Dillman's is a resort facility where you can also enjoy gorgeous scenery, boat rides on the lake and other outdoor recreation right there where the workshop takes place. The studios stay open after workshop hours for artists wanting additional painting time. Workshop fee also includes a welcome dinner the evening of your arrival. Affordable accommodations in the resort are available through Dillman's.
$550
Call 715-588-3143 for more information or register online at www.dillmans.com.
For full workshop schedule, visit www.barbarajaenicke.com.
Critique Services
Would you like me to personally critique your oil or pastel painting? Visit www.ProArtCritique.com and click on my name for quick, affordable feedback on your work.
