Plein Air Blog - All Comments

re: Playing Studio Detective with a Monet Painting

sribbonpress — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 19:33:33 GMT

I find everything about Monet quite fascinating. Where he set up his easle to paint in this film is exactly where I set up mine to paint his Japanese bridge a few years ago. I stayed in the one hotel there and painted every day for ten days. Life can't get much better than that!

re: Playing Studio Detective with a Monet Painting

MonsterAlice — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:16:27 GMT

Interesting that he has two umbrellas shading his workspace, not just one. Do you think that is so he only has to move his easel as the day progresses?

re: Playing Studio Detective with a Monet Painting

Antonin2 — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:27:19 GMT

Thanks Mitchell !

I really feel that Monet and all the impressionists paint like caricaturist in a good way. And Monet was a caricaturist when he was young. He seems to look at the subject a lot to capture the likeness but boldly pushes everything that make the scene unique.

re: The Cosmic Dance en Plein Air

johnandann@theartistsroad — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:09:57 GMT

We agree. This does sound a little weird, but read the article in Scientific American magazine if you want the complete story. It is actually interesting that folks are spending lots of time looking at pictures of cows from outer space!

re: The Cosmic Dance en Plein Air

KatPaints — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 02:03:43 GMT

Considering they contribute towards the greenhouse effect, it maybe related to the direction of the southwestern wind and the emissions from their lower half of their body. (No one wants to smell farts.) This would also allow them to smell any approaching predators.

re: The Cosmic Dance en Plein Air

John Philip — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 07:42:21 GMT

Ok, the science bit just sounds too crazy. You're spot on about them facing in a certain direction when the eat.

...but surely there are a million other factors? More reasonable ones at least. What about they don't like getting the sun in their face? Or, don't like standing downwards on a hill slope, or prefer grazing on one side of the hill more because the sun rises from a certain side of the hill, creating dew on one side, making the vegetation better on the one side. And the mountains in the pictures he studied where in a similar pattern. Or maybe they don't like to face into the wind when grazing and the places the guy studies has prevailing winds from a certain direction. ...just some immediate thoughts, and I'm sure there are even better theories.

re: Don't Let Your Plein-Air Skills Grow Cold

ahorrasi — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 18:44:03 GMT

I had an experience similar to this with a painting that I began in early Fall Plein Air and then 'life got in the way'. By the time i got back to it, it was mid December in the north Carolina mountains - not good. So I had to resort to completing it with a photograph. I wasn't terribly convinced about the outcome, but it did the job.

re: Such a Diversity of Shapes in Her Landscape Paintings

mark beale — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:06:43 GMT

Mitchell Albala has written my personal favorite book on landscape painting. It is so well written, I believe it is one of the best "instructional" books written on any subject. Nothing crystalizes your knowledge of a subject like having to teach it. Albala brings years of teaching and painting experience to bear in his book (referenced above). And no, he did not ask me to write this!

Mark Beale.

http://www.bealefineart.com

re: Landscape Painting Lessons from the Masters: Inness

Stevey J — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 22:00:10 GMT

I don't think Jennifer was trying to say Inness was a maverick rule breaker but that even a tight tonal and detailed oriented type of painter gets bored and colors outside of the lines sometimes. There is a very obvious difference between the dull tight Clearing Up painting and the more dreamy The Trout Brook which is much more appealing to me.

re: Paint the Place You Call Home

KatPaints — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 11:33:12 GMT

Hey everybody, Paint out at Dalan's!! Bring your camping gear.

re: Paint the Place You Call Home

dalanarts — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:08:52 GMT

Great article Jennifer and so true! I live in Hawaii where I can paint beautiful scenery year round but find myself constantly plotting plein air adventures abroad.

Dalan

www.outdoorstudio.blogspot.com

re: Don't Set Yourself Up for Failure from the Start

Verna K — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 16:46:13 GMT

Really enjoyed reading your post as a wonderful refresher for plein air work. And since I am a shopper, I will simply have to have your book! My comment primarily is about the umbrella thing. Earlier this year I took a workshop from Matt Smith in Tucson, Arizona while snow-birding in the US. Matt was adamant about not using umbrellas as he says they are more trouble than they are worth (basically what you said). Some of the students had them and sure enough, they were blowing around and tipping over and making their lives most challenging. So that just saved me a hundred bucks as I had planned to buy one. Thanks for bringing this up on your blog. Verna :-)

re: Don't Set Yourself Up for Failure from the Start

Jennifer King — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 19:38:17 GMT

Mitchell Albala, I love, love, love your book. Fantastic paintings and great, practical instruction. And this is an excellent post. Welcome to our plein-air blog! Jennifer King

re: Don't Set Yourself Up for Failure from the Start

sourav — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 13:35:48 GMT

This is great sir.

Can you give some insights about painting outdoors in the night?

re: Don't Set Yourself Up for Failure from the Start

KatPaints — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 01:26:56 GMT

This is an excellent post. I only wish it was posted last year. I learned much of this the hard way. I hope it gets reposted or refreshed next year --say around May. My guess is that many new to plein air would be interested in seeing at that time. I'm slowing down and getting ready for winter.

I have a love/hate relationship with my umbrella. It is black inside and silver outside. I noticed that it does effect the colors. If the sunlight is cool, it seems to warm up the colors... I have been considering getting a white umbrella. I was wondering if you noticed any effects on colors? What is your experience with a white umbrella?