Plein Air Paint Out

16 local plein air artists have been invited to paint for 16 hours on locations throughout Baltimore city. The artists are able to choose their 16 hours and paint between August 28th and September 11th.

View their results during the opening reception on September 12, 2010, from 4 to 7 PM. Show on display through September 25th

Artists include: Hai-ou Hou, Steward White, John Brandon Sills, Crystal Moll, Murray Taylor, Michael Gaudreau

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Bill Wilson, Michael Gilbert, Barb Kiwak, Claudia Brooks, Bill Tamburrino, Michael Bare, Joanne Bare, Susan Graeber, Tim Kelly & Marshall Kinsely.

Crystal Moll Gallery 1030 South Charles Street Federal Hill Baltimore Maryland 21230

410-952-2843 fax 410-391-3166

vwww.crystalmoll.com

WET PAINT ! plein air show in Baltimore at the Crystal Moll Gallery

Last week I got a call out of the blue to join in with 15 other plein air artists to paint anywhere in the baltimore city limits for only 16 hours. Two of the sites i discovered were Cylburn Park and Fort McHenry. I was really impressed with the austere beauty of the fort. What an oasis amid industry. I did 5 paintings in 3 days. This was my first "paint out" and way out of my comfort zone but I have to say I enjoyed the challenge and I discovered parts of the city I never would have visited.

noonmark mountain

Here are a couple of photos to show you of the actual mountain to compare with the oil sketches done below.

Noonmark Mountain

These are a series of oil sketches I painted rapidly, one after each other, to capture the fleeting color effects of light and weather as the day passed on Noonmark mountain. Each painting took about 30 min. As the light and clouds changed moment by moment I would pop another panel on the easel. It is truely exciting and challenging to observe and paint while the light and scenery is rapidly moving. You have to make split second decisions as to what stays and what goes, how to simplify, what to leave out, how to match color in minutes making choices without over thinking. It is a race with the light and you lose yourself in the landscape. oil on panels 8x10 to 8x8 in

Painting Noonmark Mt

This summer my wife and I stayed at a B&B (Mountain Meadows) in Keene Valley where we painted right off the back porch. It made it so convienient to leave the easel in place and get right out and paint every day. It was mighty nice when it rained, too. I was told that Constable once defined Plein Air painting as "finding a comfortable place to sit under a tree and when the sun comes up paint what happens" I don't know if that is near to what he actually said but I like it. There is an old Irish folktale where the hero Fionn Macumhail asks his men "What is the greatest music in the world" and the answer is "The Sound of What Happens" Being present and seeing nature unfold and adapting to the constant changes in light, color, shadow is much more challenging than studio painting.

Idle River ll

A nice plein air experience on a hot afternoon in late August. 10x10in oil on panel

The Peninsula -Severn River

Here is a finished version, done on site , of my favorite spot on the Severn River. Oil on birch 12x25in.