In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

6. The Future of Plein Air Painting Painting en plein air is certainly not new. However, the recent phenomena of plein air painting groups and events described in chapter 5 indicate a movement of significance as a result of the painting method’s popularity and associated revenue.Professional artists who have become established in the national plein air community enjoy sufficient demand for their paintings to command prices as high as $50,000 for the best known,1 as well as income from teaching workshops, producing books or videos, and giving lectures and demonstrations. With the large number of amateur plein air painters, those who make a living from their artwork and related activities have more opportunities to conduct traveling workshops and sell their work to loyal followers. Although every artist develops his or her own voice, or individual style, most plein air paintings fit into the categories of realism or neo-Impressionism. The paintings reflect the artists’ responses to nature, and part of their appeal for viewers is their recognizable atmosphere, mood, and actual physical characteristics of a familiar place. For many artists, the paintings are especially meaningful because they capture an experience.They call up memories of the gentle breezes,trilling birds,burbling brooks,and caring companions that were present during the creation of the work. On the other hand, painters like artist and writer Bill Canright are rarely satisfied with their plein air artwork.“A few years ago [I was] on a coastal cliff at Land’s End,the westernmost point of England.As I worked away in the wind, with one hand holding the easel,I became completely frustrated.I would have trashed the piece then and there but for laws against littering. A few months later, however, when I came across it, I decided it wasn’t that bad. I pinned it up on the wall and let it grow on me.Eventually I entered it in a national show where it was not only accepted but won an award.”2 To become skilled at painting outdoors requires much experience, knowledge ,and concentration.The painting subject must be sufficiently inspirational and the weather conditions not overwhelmingly challenging.3 T.C.Steele said that he always selected a shady spot in the summertime,then looked around for his subject.4 The composition must be simple enough to execute, yet complex enough to provide interest; the lights and darks dramatic; the colors believable or intriguing; and the paint application bold and confident or unobtrusive.The The Future of Plein Air Painting 33 problems of the constantly moving sun and shifting shadows continually test the painter’s resolve to stick with the original composition and suppress any urges to chase new light patterns. Nationally recognized pastel artist Richard McKinley wrote, “Since most plein air experiences are limited to no more than a few hours, painters must become adept at working quickly and concisely. The underlying challenge outdoors is the fleeting light, not the methods of pastel application. This is why beginners can be especially frustrated when painting on location, as they try to confront at once the fundamental structural components of painting the landscape; the techniques of pastel; and the physical logistics of the plein air situation.”5 A few zealous artists brave cold temperatures and snow, but most Indiana plein air painters work in the studio in winter,dusting off their outdoor equipment for the First Brush of Spring paint-out in New Harmony. Many then experience the challenge of having to regain their outdoor skills. In a letter to his son in the spring of 1887,T. C. Steele wrote, “I am very busy trying to get my hand in again. It seems to me I have to commence over every summer.”6 Except for the soft colors of early spring and brilliant hues of fall,good-weather painting also requires Indiana artists to cope with a prevalence of the color green—one of the trickiest colors to mix with accuracy and vary enough to create interest in the work. Some artists labor intensely to produce their paintings, including all of nuances of color and the complexity of the subject, entirely out of doors.This approach can require several consecutive visits to the same place at the same time of day. Many painters, however, take photos of the subject for reference and complete their paintings in the studio.Some critics believe that the current plein air painting trend encourages amateur artists to believe that they should...

Share