I appreciate the simple things in life. Many artists thrive with creativity in times of turmoil... I'm just the opposite... give me peace and harmony and the creative juices flow much easier... That is why I love working from life and enjoying nature. One of my favorite ways to paint is on location en plein aire... the French term literally translates in open air.
I love plein air painting because of the full EXPERIENCE... It fills all the senses for me. I also enjoy the challenges it presents due to changing conditions in my surroundings... it pushes me as an artist and forces me to capture the essence of the scene. I also like meeting people while I'm out painting in public... adding a more personal experience to the sitting. One of my favorite plein air experiences was painting at an old stone church in the Blue Ridge Mountains while a lone Scottish bagpiper played. My least favorite outing was when I was preoccupied by two alligators while painting at Greenfield Lake in Wilmington. I often paint with my artist buddy Olivia, my seven year old daughter, who definitely steals the show when we are on a plein air outing together.
Along with Olivia... some of my favorite plein artists are Larry Seiler, Richard Schmid, Jean LeGassick, Kenn Backhaus, Matt Smith, Mike Rooney, and Marc Hansen. Larry Seiler, my mentor, has been an encouraging and educational force in my work not to mention a GREAT friend. He taught me the "art of seeing".
I belong to two plein air painting guilds... the Southern Plein Air Painters and OOPS which stands for the Onslow Outdoor Painters Society. The camaraderie shared with these artists is beyond words...
but most of all... for me...
"Painting en plein aire is savoring God's creation first hand"
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