Plein Air

Reference Photo Shellback Ranch Road

Jeanne Mackenzie was our instructor for a two day workshop in plein air, which is translated from French as painting outdoors.  Jeanne paints outside in all weather and was an excellent instructor.   She says, start with just big shapes, not tress and water and sky and land and a lilac bush, just big shapes.  Then discover the values of the various shapes.   The sky is typically the lightest value and the closer the shape usually the darker the value. Though Jeanne paints in oil, I had my pastels to paint with.  I discovered that painting from the great outdoors is hard. Finding a pleasing composition, with all there is to behold, takes discipline.  Finding the shapes and values for the preliminary sketch is not intuitive for me.  I did take reference photos but fininishing in the studio isn't technically plein air.  Guess I won't be a purist.   I started three paintings but none are finished.  


A gust of wind knocked over the easel.  Pastels went a flying but at least they didn't land in the cow pie.  The next gust knocked over the easel again and hit me in the head.  

Picking up pastels