Posts Tagged ‘plein air’
The Impressionists
Most impressionists preferred to paint en plein air and the invention of the paint tube in 1841 made outdoor painting more convenient. To capture fleeting moments and the changing effects of light on landscape, artists must paint quickly and use loose or sketchy brushstrokes. The correct color must be immediately chosen and put on the canvas in one application called alla prima (“at once”) painting. Otherwise, they would not have had time to capture the fleeting effects of light.Manet and Degas often painted people who seemed alienated or depressed. Monet, Renoir and Pissarro were more interested in capturing beautiful moments and the changing effects of light on landscapes. Cassatt and Morisot, the female impressionists, usually painted figures of women and children.
Impressionism
Impressionism is the most popular art movement of all time. As a result of it, these cheery landscape paintings dress up our homes and offices, cheer us up in hospitals and inspire us to take trips abroad.
Originally, the term “impressionist” was given as an insult because the paintings looked unfinished to the viewer accustomed to many layers of glazes. It appeared that artists were too lazy to refine their brushstrokes and images were blurred, without finely defined contours.
The impressionist artists were interested in the interplay of colors and light, the fleeting quality of life. Impressionism is the soft focus that gives the sense of a lovely impression caught just before it slips away.
Matlacha, FL
Yesterday I went to Matlacha, FL, to paint. Matlacha is a charming little tourist village on the eastern edge of Pine Island and to get there, one must go through at least some part of Cape Coral and cross the “fishingest bridge in the world.” Now, whether this means that the most fish are caught here, or the most people try to catch them, is unknown. But suddenly, on both sides of this 2-lane road for a 2-3 block span, are little houses of green, pink and yellow with all sorts of paraphernalia in front.
Just prior to passing this area, if one turns left, there is a community park and boat ramp and in the middle of all that is a giant live oak tree! You already know where I headed! There’s nothing quite like painting en plein air on a beautiful day in paradise!
The Auction
A few days ago I had an interesting experience. In the morning paper a 4″ x 4″ notice advertised that some of Bernie Madoff’s belongings would be auctioned that night. He had been convicted of a Ponzi scheme and had separated a lot of folks from their money.
I arrived at the appointed time and place to find lithographs of works of many of the Impressionists as well as Chagall and Dali and two originals by Norman Rockwell and one by Camille Pissarro among many beautiful pieces of jewelry, Rolex watches and other high end items. The Persian rugs were gorgeous. According to the auctioneer’s statement of value, most items sold for 10-15% of the value, except for the Rolex watches, which went for about 40-50% of his stated value.
It was such a treat to see the artwork. The lithographs were wonderful, but I shall always remember the originals of Rockwell and that sweet plein air landscape painting of Pissarro.
Clouds
Yesterday was one of those days! The clouds looked like giant cotton balls against a sky of cobalt blue! There were even a few dark spots here and there, showing a little moisture in the atmosphere. Absolutely stunning!
Some landscape paintings are really all about the sky! The paintings can be small or large, but the majority of the canvas is devoted to the sky. My friend in Austin made an entire career of painting clouds and other phenomena of nature, like geysers, water spouts, tornadoes, etc.
The Daily Painter – Week 1
You’re probably wondering how I made out being a daily painter this past week. I did fine on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. On Thursday I was exhausted! I could do only menial tasks around the house. On Friday, I was still tired and the day was cloudy and windy, so I finished the tree paintings while sitting on my screened patio.
My landscape paintings are all about design and color. After I have painted en plein air, I have to bring the painting home and look at it for a day or two. Sometimes I have to do minor touch ups, sometimes change something about a color, but always have to paint the edges.
Saturday and Sunday, I made Christmas cookies to send to my Austin hosts. Conclusion: This is not the best time of year to become a daily painter. Also, painting more than 5 paintings per week would be totally unrealistic, and fewer than that would be more nearly possible.
Today’s Landscape Painting Dec. 7, 2009
Today, I decided to stay close to home as I have many other things to do today in addition to doing my landscape painting. I walked across the street and on the other side of that building, I found just what I like – a gnarly tree, with a couple of slash pines and a small lake nearby.
Plein Air Painting
A friend loaned me the book Cezanne – his Life and Art, by Jack Lindsay, which Arts Review says “must surely become the definitive source-book for the relation between his life and his art”. It illustrates the struggles he had in becoming an artist as well as problems all the Impressionists had in being accepted by the Salon and the public.
Each of the Impressionists had his/her own style, of course. They originally called themselves Naturalists because they tried to paint the way things really looked in nature, rather than in the traditional imaginative situations. Their landscape paintings broke with tradition and were painted outdoors en plein air.