Enjoy the Beauty That Surrounds You

Nothing declares the coming of winter like turning back the clocks.  The weather here has been warm, ideal for plein air painting, but I can feel the change coming.  I am feeling a sense of urgency now, treasuring these wonderful fall days, painting out three or four days a week.  Every day is an adventure, even when returning to familiar places. On Wednesday last week, a tree was full of bright yellow leaves and caught my eye for the start of a 16 x 20 canvas.  Returning the next day, half the leaves had fallen and by the third day the tree was bare.  The scene had changes so much that I would not have given it a second glance.

This week I spent three days at Chaffee Crossing, near the Nature Center.  Chaffee Crossing is the former Ft. Chaffee Army Base, now being developed with housing and industry.  I have found a few jeep trails into the undeveloped fields and woods.  There are areas of wild grasses shimmering in the morning light with lavender, pink, rust and gold.  The trees change each day.

At a T crossing I found a view of the old Ft. Chaffee water tank, a huge checkerboard of gold and white nestled in the trees.  That was day one's inspiration.  As I packed up, I noticed the scene behind me, day two.  Then, thinking that I was finished in this area, I was  surprised to see the road that I had come down, beautifully lit in the late morning.  I returned the next morning to capture that scene.

My next chance to paint outdoors will be next Thursday.  I will have to start all over again, checking the view of Massard Creek from Gringo's parking lot, the fields at Chaffee Crossing and opening my heart to new ideas.  I feel like I am storing up nuggets for the long winter ahead.  Perhaps one or more of these small works will inspire a large studio piece, maybe not.  Painting is an adventure.

I will post these new works as soon as they are dry enough to handle and photograph.  Hope you will visit them at my web site on the Small Works page, just a glimpse of Arkansas, the Natural State.

I've been busy with two weekend shows and one gallery reception over the last two weeks.  The weather has tempted me outdoors for plein air painting, and my blogging brain has been on vacation.

Taking a few hours to catch up on my email and newsletters from FASO and Robert Genn, I saw that the subject of purging our studios of old and unsuccessful paintings has been a hot topic, one that I have worried about  and made a few stabs at over the last two years. 

Having reached the last year of my 60's, and having a few health problems, have caused me to realize that sometime -- hopefully in 10 or 20 years -- my one and only son will have to sort through the piles of work-- sketches, studies and my teaching notes--that have stacked up in the studio.  My fear is that he will think that they are all precious and that is far from the truth.

Artist Robert Genn just addressed this subject on his twice weekly newsletter in an article on "How to Purge".  Sign up for this newsletter for free at www.painterskeys.com or at www.robertgenn.com.  if you want to know more about purging your cast-offs.  I have done most of the things suggested by him and in the comments by his readers.  I have burned/ripped up and painted over and fixed many paintings and have many more to go.

Musing on this subject reminded me of a wonderful story that I heard many years ago, don't remember the source so I can't tell you it is true, but it is fun to think about.

There was a young artist that sold an oil painting to a friend. As the artist grew in experience, he would be embarrassed to see this painting when he and his wife went to their home for dinner.  He started carrying a few small tubes of paint and a small handled brush in his pocket when visiting them.  While his wife distracted them in the kitchen, he would whip out his paints and make a few corrections to the painting.  As the years went by this painting continued to improve and his friends, not knowing what was going on, boasted that his early work "looked just as good as his current work."

Don't we all wish we could "improve" our older work.

Watch for the new plein air paintings to show on the web soon.

Thanks for tuning in.  Patricia Lappin

Painting from life, figures, still life or landscapes, is recommended by every art book, art magazine and art teacher, including me.  I know that it is very difficult for many people to find the time to organize an outdoor trip and they hesitate to paint plein air because they do not know where to go.  From my own experience here in Arkansas, I know that you can spend most of your time driving around looking for that perfect scene with a place to park.

The scenery here does not compare to the drama of the Colorado mountains or the glories of Santa Fe or California.  Western Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma are a mix of city, farm land and forest with hills, rivers, lakes and creeks.  Rural roads are appealing but are often  narrow with 6 inch shoulders and deep ditches.  Our landscapes are more intimate, more up-close and personal.  While it's wonderful to have a painting trip to exotic places, we artist need to paint often and paint what we know, our own backyards.

I have a few favorite places that are wihin a one hour drive and always available -- State parks -- local parks -- city parks -- with parking and bathrooms near by.  Important!  Check out the parks in your area ahead of time and pick out some likely spots around town as you do your other daily driving so you have a place in mind before you head out to plein air.  You just might find a wonderful and accessible place to paint.

Example!

On my way home from one of my favorite parks, I spotted a bit of water flashing through the trees and quickly turned into the parking lot of a restaurant to check it out.  Their parking lot overlooks a finger of the Arkansas River, twisting around a point of land,  trees with bits of land and hills in the background.  I took a few photos and did thumb-nail sketches.  This spot is only 15 minutes from my home, 5 minutes from a Super Wal-mart and I am just now finding it??  I have now painted there three times and plan to continue a series of the changing colors of fall. I have spoted a white egret, blue heron and a duck that dives for its dinner.

So no excuses get out there and paint en plein air and please remember that you do not have to hang this painting in your living room -- it is an experience and if the resulting painting is not up to your expectations, know that the next plein air painting will be better because of this experience.  I'll be posting a few of these images on my web in the next week.  Watch for it.

Enjoy the beauty that surrounds,  and keep painting.  Until next week.  Pat

          I have been painting since childhood and have been sharing my experience with other painters by teaching and mentoring for 30 years so I would like to expand this experience by blogging about art, painting tips and exercises to help you stretch your creative self. 

I love painting from life, figures, landscapes en plein air, and still life set-ups in the studio, but there are times when photos are the only source.  This is one way that I use photos with out copying them.

This small painting is a study I used as an example for my students of using a photo for the design, but choosing your color scheme -- this is a monochrome of yellows with black and white.

  This is the same image painted with a warm analogous plan using red-orange through to yellow-green with black and white for tints and shades.  We also worked with the cool analogous scheme, complimentary, and split complimentary.  I suggested that the photos they chose should be printed in black and white so that they would not be influenced by the colors in the photo but still  have clear value patterns.

  This is the 20 x 24 version that I then painted from the small analogous study. Belle Point Park is part of the National Historic Site, the first Ft. Smith on the edge of the Indian Territories.  This is the River Trail that leads down to the Arkansas River and looking across to Oklahoma. 

Hope you will join me again.  Have fun painting the beauty that surrounds you.   Pat