The weather has been challenging for almost everyone the last few months.
Bitter cold, unusual amounts of snow and flooding have kept many people stuck indoors more than they would prefer.
If you’re sick of painting still lifes and composing your scenes from photos, maybe it’s time to plan a plein air painting adventure.
Sure, the weather is still iffy, and the ground is probably soggy, but getting out for just a short spell can lift your spirits and renew your enthusiasm for creating.
Earlier this year, we discussed a winter plein air painting excursion. For those of you who bundled up and took the plunge, it probably was a mixture of shivering followed by a burst of creativity and concluded with a pleasant surprise of renewed artistic energy.
Now that the weather is moderating, it’s time for those of us who deemed the temperatures too frigid for our delicate sensibilities to venture out and take a peek at what Mother Nature is doing.
Springtime Subjects
Depending upon your location, springtime subject matter can vary a great deal. If your spring season is just getting started, landscapes really look their worst. Old piles of snow are dirty, the leaves haven’t begun to bud out on the trees and even the ground is nothing but shades of brown.
However, if you look closely you’ll probably find snowdrops and crocuses in a sunny corner, and many of the birds are busy foraging for food and nesting material. Squirrels, chipmunks and other creatures are out enjoying the warmer weather as well. Interesting piles of leaves, rocks and debris can make for fascinating close-up compositions or the basis for abstract designs.
Close-ups and vignettes of the flora and fauna of the early spring may be your choice over soggy, dull landscapes found at this time of the year.
If your location is a little milder, you may already have the pastel beauty of spring grasses and blooms. The trees, with their budding leaves, give a lacy and colorful burst of color to the once-drab countryside. These landscapes are full of delicate color tones playing against the stark skeletons of the trees and bushes.
Capture Your Surroundings
Since spring weather can be rather uncertain, you should take the tools that will allow you to work quickly. A sudden shower or a dark cloud front reducing your sunny surroundings to a dull, dreary day can certainly change the mood of your painting.
A camera is a great artist’s tool that allows you to work in the comfort of your studio. It will never replace the ambiance that you get from working directly with the subject, but photos aid you in completing a piece that you start on site. The photographs are also valuable to add to your morgue of stock subjects, and your own pictures are preferable to collecting those created by others.
You don’t need to complete a painting on site. Many artists spend their plein air painting time developing graphite or color sketches. These rough drafts give the painter a feel of the area and may include the local color, as well as notations about the surroundings. They incorporate these into the final piece or use them for other compositions.
Keep It Simple
Choose a subset of your paints for your plein air outing. Take the basics, and forego all the extraneous tools. You probably don’t need that Fuchsia color or the extra large tubes of paint. Large supports are a little too ambitious.
A few tubes of basic colors, a couple of brushes and a modest-sized support or two are all you need for your quick compositions. You’ll have more fun if you’re not lugging a ton of equipment and don’t need to spend hours setting everything up ‘just right.’
Convenient Locations
Your plein air painting excursion may be just a few feet beyond your back door. One of my more successful sketches was developed looking out a window in my basement when it was too cold to venture outdoors.
Set up your supplies on your patio or deck to paint some early-blooming bulbs. The trees in your yard or the neighbor’s garden can become the backdrop for and appealing landscape.
The courtyard of your apartment may have some interesting bushes, and the bird tenants that make their homes in them can be appealing subjects. A cityscape is also a potential composition. Buildings, streets and other architecture are all plein air possibilities.
The thermometer is slowing creeping upward, and the days are getting longer. Isn’t it time for you to come out from your days of hibernation? Shake off the winter doldrums, pack up your supplies and get yourself outdoors. Spring is a time of renewal. You’ll acquire a new outlook and a refreshed attitude on your art.
