Plein Aire Painting
By
Mogollon Rim, Pinetop, AZ by Niamh Savani
Recently I rediscovered the joy of plein-aire painting while attending the Arizona Art Education Association annual conference in Pinetop, AZ. It was a wonderful chance to renew myself as an artist, reconnect with fellow art educators, and honor my creativity.
I participated in plein-aire workshops and spent many hours outside painting in the beautiful mountains and beside a picturesque lake.
Watercolor is a great medium when painting en plein aire because you can work very fast and there is a freshness and spontaneity that is hard to replicate with other types of paint. Since the light and other conditions are constantly changing when painting outdoors, watercolor helps you be spontaneous and capture the present moment in paint. You have to forget perfection when working with watercolor, because sometimes it has a mind of its own!
“For me, a landscape does not exist in its own right, since its appearance changes at every moment; but its surroundings bring it to life – the air and the light, which vary continually….” ~ Claude Monet”
You can also create beautiful translucent, shimmering effects with watercolor. Many artists prefer to paint on location with watercolor paint rather than (or maybe in addition to) taking photographs for reference material for later work in the studio. The personal connection with a particular location is strengthened by losing oneself painting the scenery. It almost like a moving meditation.
In progress plein-aire painting by Niamh Savani
“Everything in nature is harmony; a little too much, or else too little, disturbs the scale and makes a false note. One must reach the point of singing true with the pencil or with brush quite as much as with the voice; rightness of forms is like rightness of sounds.” ~ Ingres
It is great painting outdoors because you get to connect with nature in a meaningful way. It is also a lot of fun! However there can be challenges - changing weather conditions, blowing wind, transporting your art supplies, finding a good, safe painting location etc. However the rewards far outweigh the inconveniences. Try it yourself sometime and experience the joy of plein-aire painting!
Have you ever painted en-plein aire?
Have you ever experimented with watercolor paint?
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