Plein Air

[Val]

  Now I've seen the photo itmakes much more sense!  what do you mean not the focal point?     
I know... bigger magnifier!           

[stoney]

I decided that I had to get back into oils. I love the workability of them. I've chickened out and used watercolors and acrylics outdoors until this past week, but forced myself to load the easel with the oil supplies.
Getting used to wet on wet again has been a challenge but hopefully I'm back in the "Groove".
Yesterday the light was fantastic on these desert flowers and cactus.

Details

Brian

The desert has its own beauty and with everything in bloom well, that will blow your mind.

[stoney]

Looks really nice!

Never had the courage to do plein air.  A neighbor keeps asking me to try, but then again he is a professional mural painter.

So my cowardice continues.

Like your work, keep up the oils!

Hope to see your next work soon.

Charles

Cowardice?  Nah.  You've just not been intrigued enough. It's an 'entirely different animal'.  With plein aire, you don't have the luxury of time you've got in the studio.  Outside you've got a max of 2 hours before you're 'chasing the sun.'

Set your darkest dark and lightest light at the onset, and work between them.


You can simulate this (and get used to the time restriction) in the studio by having a two hour restriction. 

If you can't finish a work, outside, in the two hours and want to pick it up again; you'll need to start at the time of day another day when the light and weather conditions are the same.  That can be days, or weeks, later.

Some have no interest in painting outside.

[stoney]

Hey Charles, glad you enjoyed the thread. You can overcome your anxiety, go out and paint!
Thanks Nolan for the comments, always welcome and helpful.
This weeks Urban Sketch was in the "Old Town" section of Casa Grande Arizona.
The light was focused on the yellow wall and blue sign and the old pickup truck attracted my eye too.

Details

Brian

Neat!  What are you painting on?

[scouserl41]

That's cheap 90lb watercolor paper from Micheals.. I picked up the wrong block of paper! I wanted 140 lb.

I recently bought a block of 140 lb Arches to try but haven't had a chance to try it yet. we are getting the RV ready for our summer adventure in the North West. We leave April 1st for California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Wyoming.
I tend to paint watercolors in the summer and oils/acrylic in the winter.

Brian

[stoney]

That's cheap 90lb watercolor paper from Micheals.. I picked up the wrong block of paper! I wanted 140 lb.

I recently bought a block of 140 lb Arches to try but haven't had a chance to try it yet. we are getting the RV ready for our summer adventure in the North West. We leave April 1st for California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Wyoming.
I tend to paint watercolors in the summer and oils/acrylic in the winter.

Brian

Oregon's a beautiful state; lots to see.  It also has a lot of geothermal hot springs, as does other states in the PNW (Pacific N.W.).  Soak.Net gives GPS coordinates.  You can also check your library, or pick up a copy, for/of 'Hot Springs and Hot Pools of the Northwest
 by Marjorie Gersh

Snively Hot Spring which is located in Eastern Oregon North of Lake Owyee is RV friendly.  The water funnels into the river.  You adjust the temperature by the amount of river water you let in.


North of there is John Day and there's a desert area, who's name I can't recall, which blooms in the end of April beginning of May.

East of Oakridge (it's a speed trap) about 9 miles (at mile marker 45 on Hwy. 58) on the south side is a large parking lot. On the east side is a trail.  Follow it about 30 yds., and there's McCredie Hot springs.  It's a large but shallow pool.  Be aware it is day use only.

A few miles west of Oakridge, on the north side (sign to Westfir), is route 19.  There's a covered bridge in the area.  It goes about 30 miles and connects with 126 east of Springfield.  Maybe 15 miles in (don't quote me haven't been there for some years) you've got the Rushing River and then a small park with an old cabin on it.

Continuing North you'll see a 'day use' only sign for the next two miles.  There will be a parking lot (which might be problematic based on the day).  It's pay to park and there's a reserviour on the right of the road and a pond (with waterfall) on the left.  At the far end of the pond is a trail to Cougar Hot Springs.  It's five descending pools.

Of course you've got Crater Lake and (there's lots of pull offs on the southern road in if you're coming from Hwy 97 which goes from Weed, Ca., to the Columbia Gorge.  You can drive around the lake (and there's a North exit onto Hwy. 138).

If you were to exit the South end and head West.  It's about 30-35 miles to a paved connecting road.  Turning right will bring you to Hwy. 138.  Turning left and going a couple hundred yards there's a parking lot for 'Fairwell Bend' which is where the river has carved through the rock.  You can see bits of it from the road on the right.

About ten miles South you've got another nature spot.  Can't recall the name, but it's a 'land bridge'.  It's on the right, too.

Hwy. 138 (going West from the Crater Lake area) you come to the town of Glide.  Park either before or after the bridge exiting town.  That's the only place in the USA where you've a North flowing stream and a south flowing stream colliding on the north side of the bridge.  West of there is I-5.

Well before Glide you've signs for a couple of waterfalls, one on each side.

On Hwy. 138 at mile marker 61 there's a sign directing you to the left for a waterfall.  You'll park in a lot and walk in.

At mile marker 59 is a sign saying 'Umpqua' (Toketee) hot springs.  Take the first left, go across the bridge and there's a falls.  I'm not sure how the parking lot fares.  If you were to continue the road breaks right and you'll have Toketee lake on the right.  There are RV spots there.  If you continue past the dam up a hill you've got a good gravel road on the right.  Once you cross the bridge continue on for another couple of miles to a parking lot on the left.  Take the footbridge across and follow the signs to the hot springs.  It's on a forest bluff overlooking the river.

There's also hiking trails.  If you have questions or want to know other things kick me a message.

[scouserl41]

Thanks Stoney! It will be June or maybe July by the time we get that far North.
Brian

[csebesta]

Brian, actually I got my plein air ‘kit’ together, and on a cold February day, I set up in my office mostly to: 1. See if my kit was complete (better to figure out what is missing in the studio than the field); and to see what I could do in two hours.

I had everything I needed, except maybe one more plastic bag.  The canvas was covered in two hours, I think a complete success.

So I am ready to go out, with confidence, as soon as the weather gets better.  I am meeting with Jeff this week to see a new Van Gogh exhibit here in Houston.  Maybe a trip out will get planned then.  In the meantime I am trying to finish up my two Cartagena pictures, nearing completion, so I am excited about that.

Thanks Brain for your thought and encouragement.

Charles

[scouserl41]

Charles, that sounds like you have things sorted out, and if you can do a piece in 2 hours you have it all!

As for not having everything don't worry. You will leave something home. My classics so far:

Set up ready to paint..
No Paints!!
Set up ready to go
No Canvas.

You always forget something, that's what's good about a group you can share the resources!!

Enjoy
Brian

[Aniz Oniro]

Brian i realy enjoing  your paintings

[csebesta]

Brian,

Thanks for your guidance and encouragement!

Jeff, my painting buddy, and I went to see the Van Gogh exhibit today.  Jeff spent quite a bit of time comparing side by side VVG pictures, one outdoor plein air and the other studio.  Both were exceptional but you did not see the detail in the outdoor seen.  The contrast and color was their, just not detail.

At any rate maybe we will get out in early April, we both get busy, but we are both anxious to do it.

Thanks again.

Charles

btw the exit was exceptional, any one in the area interested in painting should probably see it at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston (MFAH)

[nolan]

I went to see the Van Gogh exhibit today.

[Val]

I went to see the Van Gogh exhibit today.

Me too