'Starts' are intentionally unfinished paintings that capture colors of summer or spring quickly to accumulate several unfinished works. The series can be finished later indoors, often during winter months or anytime other inspiration doesn't strike. That's the time to pull out the starts and keep the painting momentum going all year round.
Westeremden, The Netherlands
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| Oil on Panel , Finished |
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| Oil on Panel, , finished |
When an artist friend came over t visit from the US, I showed her the coffee table book of a Dutch artist, whose countrymen voted as their second favorite artist under Rembrandt in 2006. She was so impressed, she asked if we could visit him and his studio. It's a little country and I speak Dutch so within a short time we were packed and on the road toward Groningen, where the classical painters are trained and hang out so to speak. It would be four hour drive to get there so we booked a B&B his wife suggested. This way maybe we could squeeze in some plein air time. It was a phenomenal experience. The museum was having a retrospective of his work--the most I have ever seen in one place. The studio visit turned out to be an invitation to see his whole house where many fo the amazing objects used in his paintings are just a normal part of the interior. We were very inspired and chattered the rest of the day about the works we would start and objects we would be anxious to add ot our studio props.The plein air images shown above were done in one sitting of three hours in Westeremdem. both being 6 x 8 , a standard size I keep in my pochade box. The weather conditions posed nimbus clouded skies,. Eventually it started to rain, but passed quickly> Oil paint repels water, so it was not a real problem. Because of conditons I stayed in the same spot and squeezed in a second painting by turning my view about 40 degrees and changing the composition to a vertical.
Ohain (near Brussels) Belgium
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| The Start now r eady for indoor details |
She is a highly trained experienced indoor painter and we had discussed her coming over each year we had roomed together at an artist conference. At a first time paint out, one has a lot to think about already, but add a couple of variables like jetlag, homesickness , friendly, well-meaning villagers coming out of their house to speak (in a foreign language) and just normal village life teeming in the neighborhood around a newcomer to Europe), and the normal things like changing sunlight, -- and concentration can easily dwindle into less confident strokes. She grew impatient and before we left had wiped the wet paint down numerous times, pronouncing she did not want to do any more painting like this during the rest of her trip, proclaiming herself an indoor artist for all time.
I enjoy working en plein air and I put my prizewinning friend's on a pedestal, which blinded me from other considerations already outlined so I did not take this comment seriously. However, it would not be until we arrived at Monet's Garden almost two weeks later, before she would try again.
But on this day, I set up at a fork on the street with the view shown above before me. Things went fine until later in the day when moms started to arrive home with school runs. It seems I had chosen the exact spot they need to make a three-point turn to avoid extra driving. Gas is expensivo so every littel bit counts. Instead fo taking a downhill fork in the narrow cobblestoned street they turned around to prevent going more than a kilometer at next chance. Little engines revved and gears screeched as the drivers and I exchanged scary quizical glances to one another over and over. Who could have known I would be such a target for the front of their car to touch my easel practically in this turnaround? Next time I see a fork in the road at a picturesque place, it will definitely remind me of this hair raising paint out.
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
(The Spui/Student Quarter)
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| The Start |
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| After indoor studio touches |
The bridge was so wide that a restaurant spilled its terrace on to it. Due to the terrace filling up, a sizeable audience was amused to see a cross between Mrs. Bean and a female Charlie Chaplin contort to every angle possibel while trying to get one stubborn retractable leg on my easel to cooperate. Patiently, I held back all the expletives that made up my entire vocabulary in the last few minutes. worked out of the dilemna and took a well deserved bow to the applause of the terrace 'audience' on my departure. As for the finishing touches later in the convenience of my studio, I employed creative license with the trees and gave them more compliments to the blue boat to create more vibration, corrected a few verticals, punche up the sky and boat. Amsterdam is a beautiful city and this is a great memory of the student quarter near The Spui and the generous, delicious warm apple pie I enjoyed at the "Zeezicht" ( seaview) afterwards before heading over to the Rembrandt House.
JOAN OF ARC MONUMENTParis, France
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| After indoor studio touches |
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| the Start at a very hectic location |
VILLERS LA VILLE ABBEY RUIN
Belgium (south of Brussels)
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| The Start (rained short) |
This ruined abbey is a well kept secret. Ensconced in a forest about half hour from Brussels center, it is a remnant of one of the largest cistern abbeys that existed in Europe in its time. It is amazing--again as one of these places which has so many painting trajects, it will give you Stendahl Syndrome just choosing where to paint. I set up on second level opening to a courtyard beneath with a lot of botanical growth typical to the whole ruin.. .One can always depend on solitude upon entering this history-drenched alcove of Belgium. Worth a google if not able to visit there in person. I am a lucky artist, but it is great place to practice zooming in and simplifying a composition. There's a lot of information for paintings in nature thus the plein air artist constantly has to select what gets included and what is left to another work.
Giverny, France
This is a quintessential tourist area of France where wars, whose veterans are still living, indubitably bond the French and American past. Each time I visit this village, I feel very at home. because an artist lived here and many, as I , still come here to paint as a short term resident and admirer of Monet. I bring my workshop groups here but today I would be painting not teaching. This day I brought my artist friend and it was a more relaxed.
As I was here mainly for my friend's benefit I deferred to her decision to the question "Should I stay or should I go".After carefully considering the weather and rest of our agenda, she decided it would be worth staying and she would indeed try plein air again at Monet's House! Albeit later than planned, we enter the big doors in the tractor shed and sniffed out our painting spots. We then go all over the premises taking hundreds of photos, hoping the weather will turn to more favor. The colors! Fantastic!
work off, and would have be able to take home proof of her painting experience in this famous place. She became resolute to venture into plein air when she returned from the photo session (to my great delight). Despite the challenge of the moaning cat, we had a serendipitous windfall occur too. We came here on a Monday when artists are allowed to reserve private painting sessions.The facilities are closed to the public and gardeners are doing maintenance. On this Monday, the guardians who live in Monet's House, had a VIP The day started out overcast. photographer booking as well. All of the windows and door shutters suddenly were opened for her shoot and I was able to obtain great shots as well for our archives and reference materials once back in our studios. For the rest of the time I had to imagine how far the shutter would open which was easy but I was glad to get the lace curtains archived.
After major photo session, and just upon setting up easels, the mysterious cat reminded us we were not alone even though other artists had pushed Lady Luck and dared to start painting on a day like this. It was to be an annoyance that drove us to distraction. If it was a human singer it would have been more Rod Stewart than Maria Callas if you get my drift. What a wretched, rasping woeful effort warned everyone of its presence. Was it hurt, looking for love,
even dying or what? The sound was there all day long, like a broken record and our concentration was less than normal for sure. The good news is that my friend did not wipe her final
Normally I can draw fast and accurate especially with a familiar subject, but this day a very neglected cat cried forlornly in the near distance all day long! It was my duchess challenge because I felt so sorry for it and yet annoyed because it was hard to concentrate. I was slightly annoyed the proprietors did not do anything to change its location or help it. Perhaps they knew more than we, but we had decided to stay and paint and so we did.
Shown here is an example of some flowers that will be incorporated into the foreground in the planted beds as well as on the trellis that runs the length of the terrace or porch. This is such an amazing place. The anemones were taken on a previous trip. And I'll use them as well as my own imagination for the finishing touches.
courtesy note
I've been rebuilding my artist website, so the letters below are dimmed because the link for teh packing checklists for plein air paintouts and workshops will be different. When I have it connected again the text below will be more visible.
Click here to link for an all media selection of
HOW TO USE THE CHECKLIST : Don't pack all that is on the list, it's meant to promt ideas and serve as template for possibilities to scavenge for things you may find at home. iF you are attending a workshop the organizer usually sends exact list of what is needed, per medium. Use the lists as a template to select items to pack/buy/or organize on location as deemed appropropriate if flying to the painting destination.
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