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Curt Walters painting at the
Grand Canyon.
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None of us want to be stuck in the rut of painting the same subjects over and over again, so we try different landscape locations, select new groups of still life objects, or join a sketch group that hires models to pose. We discover that it takes a while to adjust our palette of colors, method of working, and selection of drawing tools to become comfortable with the new challenges. That’s what happened to me recently when I painted along the South Rim of the Grand Canyon with a group of professional artists.
Most of the 20 artists participating in the Grand Canyon Celebration of Art plein air painting event were experienced at painting western landscapes. In fact, Curt Walters, David Haskell, Elizabeth Black, and other participating artists have painted the Grand Canyon for decades and know all the best locations, the appropriate colors to use, and the most effective ways of dealing with the complex scenery. I have to admit that I failed miserably in my first few attempts, because I was unprepared for the vast spaces, the dramatic lighting, and the subtle color changes. After scraping off a couple of painting panels, I was reminded how hard it can be to tackle an unfamiliar subject.
So what did I learn from my failures? First, I remembered the advice every good teacher offers: simplify. You should never attempt to paint every ridge, tree, cloud, or flower. Second, those same wise instructors would advise me to plan my paintings by making compositional studies. A quick evaluation of the important shapes, values, and lines will always help an artist realize a better painting. Finally, my 19 painting companions would remind me that a painting is all about relationships. Our perception of a color or value often depends on what it is near in the painting, not what it looks like when isolated on a palette.
I should have remembered all of this good advice, because it is frequently offered in the issues of American Artist, Watercolor, Drawing, and Workshop magazines. My excuse is that I was so overwhelmed by the Grand Canyon and excited about having the opportunity to paint it that I forgot what steps I need to take when dealing with a new subject.
P.S. I’m writing about a class Curt Walters taught in the Grand Canyon for the Winter 2009 issue of Workshop magazine.