October 2, 2010

en plein air

It's been an intense week. It started dramatically last weekend with Adam's 16th birthday happening at the same time that a 15-year-old girl from his school was brutally murdered in broad daylight at a local park. We continue to follow the disturbing story that has turned our community upside down, but thankfully the arrival of Michelle, my good buddy from Calgary, came at the right time. We had a good week. She was accompanied by her Whippet, Austin, and he and Coco burned up the beach together.











We spent one day prowling the streets, which netted us some great urban photos and a newly-discovered gem on Main Street, a hole-in-the-wall art supply shop run by a guy named Stan. He carries Kama oil paint, a stellar find.


















Our first day of painting was at nearby Mud Bay. I'd never painted en plein air before and struggled beside Michelle's confident mastery of the medium.

We headed out to Westham Island at the southwest end of Delta for our second painting day. This time I tried a completely different approach. I'm not sure which was more successful (neither -- I'm hopelessly out of my depth), but this one was a whole lot faster! (Note: this was about 'going back to school', not Making Masterpieces.)

Now I have serious pochade box lust. Michelle let me use hers while she used her French easel. Never having done this before, I can see how addicting


















the plein air painting field trip can be. Anyone care to join me? All it will cost you is a pochade box, tripod and a replacement for the Holbein brush washer I lost somewhere out there (!@?!#%!).

8 comments:

paula said...

congrats on plein airin. you look professional like you belong in an art catalog. is that bottom painting yours?

Hayden said...

Fascinating to see how different they are!

sonya said...

How wonderful! I think your efforts were terrific. You are too hard on yourself. Me likie both and what a great new experience for you. En plein air. Everything sounds so exotic in another language. Like dining "al fresco".

Michelle Grant said...

OMG!! Didn't we have fun! especially the dumpster diving in our efforts to locate that turp pot!!
now you need to come to calgary to paint here, though the snow is gonna fly soon.

andrea said...

Thanks, Hayden and Sonya, and Michelle: Yes we did! And I want to paint in the foothills. Such amazing vistas! (That profile photo of you is really great, by the way. You need to put it on your website.)

kikipotamus said...

I am very sorry to hear of such an inexplicable tragedy so close to home. Painting outside looks like a lot of fun!

dinahmow said...

Hard to get away from your long-time style, huh!
I read somewhere (and it may be an urban myth!) that Leonardo trained himself to use both hands in order to vary his painting.
Probably is a myth, considering they didn't vary much back then!
But if it's fun then it's good!

Costescu said...

Great paintings, what a perfect way to spend the day :) The pochade box looks so cool, you look very good with it, I think you need to get one :)