Painting Retreats

Nothing sounds like quite as much fun as a "painter's retreat." Not a workshop, not a vacation, it's rather a combination of focus and freedom. Here are several that are available this season:

The Omega Institute is offering an Autumn Painter's Retreat focusing on Hudson Valley watercolor landscapes with Fulbright scholar, professional artist and muralist Alan Leon. This is peak fall foliage season.

New Mexico expressionist/plein air painter Louisa McElwain is offering demos, critiques, information and encouragement to artists who visit her property near Santa Fe. Subject matter ranges from spectacular mountain and badlands terrain to churches, villages and her farm with its orchard, pastures, gardens, horses, cattle and poultry. Stay in an historic log house, complete with antique wood burning range, Satellite TV and internet.

In November, Open Air Italy invites you to Tuscany for the olive harvest. Take some new oil home with you. There are only four remaining spaces for this trip.

You've heard of heli-skiing, now you can go heli-hiking with your painting gear in southeastern British Columbia. Canadian Mountain Holidays is making this trip available from August 31 - September 5.

Or you can hike in Italy's Sibillini Mountains, participating in a combination of studio time, walking, sketching, excursions and a visit to the Fabriano Paper Museum. This trip takes place October 9-16.

Karl Eric Leitzel will host "Finding Your Voice - A Painter's Retreat" at the Inn On the Sky in Spring Mills, Pennsylvania this summer.

Decisions, decisions.

National Parks Artist-in-Residence Program

Artists have been part of national parks since the 1860s and 70s, when painters, photographers and writers played a vital role in documenting the spectacular landscapes of the West and convincing Congress to preserve certain places as a public trust.

Today, 29 national parks around the country participate in an Artist-In-Residence program for painters, sculptors, writers, poets, photographers, composers, performers and craft artists to live and work on site in the park. Usually, artists are expected to donate a piece of art or offer a public presentation in exchange for a place to live and work in the park for two weeks or more.

The photo above shows John B. Fairbanks (1855-1940) painting in Zion National Park in Utah.

Artists Abroad - European Painting Trips

Mary Jean Weber started organizing plein air painting vacations in 2009 after enjoying many such trips as a participant. She is planning two excursions this summer. The trip to Umbria from May 23- June 6 still has some spaces available. This is a two week, non-instructional visit to the Umbrian hill towns where excellent wine and olive oil are produced, near the historic city of Terni where art supplies are available.

"It is so much fun traveling with a group of like minded people who love to paint. You make lots of new friends and really experience the country on a deeper level when you are painting it. It is a travel experience that is truly enriching, exciting and fun. Come and join us."

Richard Lindenberg - Plein Air Poetry

Northern California painter Richard Lindenberg has a blog-post about his introduction to "plein air poetry" at the San Luis Obispo Plein Air Festival. Who knew? You don't necessarily need your paint with you to create a plein air sketch. Just pay attention the way you usually do, and instead of using colors and shapes, create an image with words. You can still incorporate elements of rhythm, contrast, subtlety, movement, detail, realism, abstraction, etc., only in a different medium.

"The name originated at the SLO Poetry Festival. One night, Kevin Patrick Sullivan (an exuberant man and producer of the SLO Poetry Festival) hosted a group of local poets that read some of their creations at the Art Center to a crowd of painters and poets. In fact... two of the poets tagged along with two of the painters at the event and wrote about their experience."

You can read the poem Richard wrote about the painting above, Pelican Point, in his post.

Walt & El Grupo - Documentary

"With the world on the brink of war and Nazi influence growing in South America, the U.S. government sought help from a bunch of artists." So reads the poster for this new documentary film, coming soon to a theatre near you, if you live on either coast or in Milwaukee or Chicago.

In 1941, Walt Disney was commissioned by the State Department to visit Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Peru with his staff of artists, composers, etc. as part of Franklin Roosevelt's Good Neighbor policy, an early version of "soft power" influence. Disney would be (along with Mickey Mouse) an ambassador for the United States during the 10-week tour and later make two animated films using the local cultures and scenery.

Directed, written and produced (in five countries) by Ted Thomas (son of Disney animator Frank Thomas, who made the trip) and Kuniko Okubo, the film shows artists at work, in one instance creating the cigar-smoking animated parrot, Joe Carioca, while using a real parrot as a model. The film travels in Walt Disney’s footsteps through the use of personal letters, artwork from the trip and remembrances by descendants and survivors.

25th Annual Artist Ride

The Shearer Ranches, 20 miles north of Wall, South Dakota, have been hosting an invitational Artist Ride for painters who are interested in Western subjects such as mountain men, buffalo, Indians, cowboys and authentic equipment, such as stagecoaches, knives, guns, bows and musical instruments. The painting above was done by participant Jerral Derryberry.

The event is hosted by Grant and JoDee Shearer. It was started by Lavon Shearer in 1984 and moved to the ranch property in 1987. Fifty artists from around the country are invited each year, and approximately 100 models attend to serve as inspiration. Another thing that makes for an authentic feeling is the family atmosphere - there are often three generations dressed in period costumes.

Red Hawk is one of those models doing his best to maintain accuracy for artists such as Derryberry, for whom he has previously posed. The majority of his body is painted yellow, with red and blue accents. “This is a kit fox warrior design,” Red Hawk said. “We bring changes of outfits and horses here. My dad has been coming here since the beginning. My brother Lloyd was made into a gift bag,” Red Hawk said. “You might become a 1,000-piece puzzle, or end up on a plate or a poster.”

Identifying the artwork that comes out of the Artist Ride is easier than one might expect. “Just look for our symbol,” JoDee Shearer said of the logo that is half “A,” half “R” and looks like it is pointing toward something just beyond the horizon.

Thanks to our friends at Tanka Bar for posting about this on their Facebook page. Hmmm...are those *their* buffalo in the painting?

Ian Frazier Sketchbook Slideshow

Here is a link to an audio slideshow of writer Ian Frazier's sketches from a trip through Siberia. He's written a two-part article about his travels for the New Yorker. This sketch shows the power poles for the trans-Siberia railroad, which is run on electricity.

When you're traveling, sitting down for awhile to paint or sketch plein air is probably the best way to make sure you really see what you came so far to experience.

Spike Ress Watercolor Video

Spike Ress has posted a video of his process as he paints a watercolor - what fun to see it all come together. Sometimes watercolor can go fast (if you know what you're doing).

He paints in both watercolor and oils. "In recent years I have returned to painting in oil on location. However, I continue to work
in both media. I’ve used watercolor most of my life because it’s a friendly medium for the traveling
artist. It’s lightweight, fast drying, and lends itself to capturing a direct impression. I now find that
working in both watercolor and oil serves to heighten my skills in both media."

Book Review - An Artist's Book of Excuses

We discovered a great new product at the National Art Materials trade show in May: a spiral-bound (take it in the field with you) guidebook written by artist and Soltek Easel inventor Jim Wilcox. Illustrated with cartoons by his friend and fellow-painter John Potter (check out this page on his website that shows his painting process from sketch through beautiful finished painting) the book contains 52 reasons why things can go wrong and suggestions on how to survive the situation, put it right and possibly avoid it in the future.

Here are some sample pages, including the excuse and Jim Wilcox's advice:

"I just can't paint (a) trees (b) figures (c) animals.
"The really wonderful news about painting is that we don't need to be able to paint any particular subject. All we need to do is find the shapes of color in our subject and repeat them on our canvas, thus putting the right color in the right place."

"They said art is a relaxing hobby, but I get so uptight!
"Some people have said that they find painting relaxing. Either they are missing something or I am. It can be pleasant and occasionally rewarding, but I find it taxing and mentally challenging as well. On occasion, a most successful painting appears to 'fall off the brush.' It will be easy to paint and exhilarating, but even this wonderful experience isn't usually what I would describe as relaxing."

"It was too (a) hot (b) cold (c) rainy (d) windy.
"The more comfortable you are when painting, and the fewer unpleasant distractions, the better you should paint. However, some of the most dramatic moments in nature are a result of atmospheric stress."

And, our favorite (based on a true incident):

"A bear ate my white paint.
"Don't try to get your white paint back - you can't outrun a bear. If you brought your watercolors as well, you are in luck. If you brought a friend with paint, your luck is even better, and painting can continue...assuming the bear has left."

This helpful guide is available from soltekarts.com or from our website.

Glen Eyrie Paint Out - Success

Last month I went down to Colorado Springs to be a part of the first annual Glen Eyrie Paint Out. It was a perfect weekend for it – the weather couldn’t have been any nicer and Glen Eyrie had no shortage of inspiring views.

There were about 40 artists in attendance and plenty of space to spread out - everyone found something different to paint. On Saturday the artists attended workshops and spent the afternoon painting. (The following day I got to see a picture of a bear that had wandered in that afternoon to investigate.)


Sunday morning, the artists got straight to painting and enjoying the day. A herd of big horn sheep kept running through the grounds too, which made for some added excitement.

Here are some pictures of the castle and of me talking with North Carolina artist Dan Nelson. Local artist Skip Whitcomb was the juror for the works produced that day. He offered up this advice: Plein air painting is much too serious work for us to take it too seriously.

The paint out was so much fun to be a part of and I want to thank all of the folks at Glen Eyrie and all of the artists, namely Gary Bradley and Skip Whitcomb for making it a big success. I can’t wait to see everyone again next year.

~ Alicia

NAMTA Annual Trade Show

A few weeks ago a few members of our staff and I traveled to Louisville, KY for the annual NAMTA trade show. Over 150 booths were set up and manned by all the big name art material manufacturers and suppliers for art retailers like us to come see what’s new in art supplies. This is one business trip that requires good walking shoes and plenty of room in your suitcase to haul home lots of free samples. There ends up being way too much to see and do but I couldn’t ask for a better trip.

The NAMTA organization (International Art Materials Trade Association) not only works to unite the art material suppliers and retailers but they also serve to better anyone who works in the fine arts. The organization offers scholarships and grants, news about what’s happening in the art world and resources for everyone. These guys (and ladies) do an amazing job.

On top of a fantastic trade show, we also got to enjoy the city of Louisville -pronounced “Lou-ah-vull” (I was corrected every time). It rained everyday while we were there which we enjoyed quite bit because we just don’t get a lot of rain in Colorado. The city was so friendly and there was no shortage of fun things to try to fit in to our busy schedule. On the first night of the show, we had the president’s reception dinner at the Kentucky Derby Museum at Churchhill Downs. It was a lot of fun; we sipped mint juleps and talked art and horses all night long.

Not surprisingly, Carl managed to get some painting done with his ThumBox. He painted the Alvin booth from across the aisle. There was too much going on for me to even think about trying to paint any of it – but Carl has been doing this for years and he loves the challenge.

The trip was quite a success. I found some new products that you might enjoy and you’ll see them online or in our next catalog soon. There is still a lot of sifting through samples to be done. I already added one find to our website, “The Artist’s Book of Excuses”. It’s a funny little book about plein air painting that any artist is sure to love. Yes, this trip had it all: a great host city, lots of fun things to do and see, an amazing trade show filled with tons of products for artists and some great folks, and the NAMTA organization to take care of us all. I only wish it was open to the public… any artist would have loved it!

-Alicia

Why Cats Paint - Book Review

This cult classic creates a fun kind of cognitive dissonance. We know that cats have keen eyesight, great capacity for concentration, excellent hand/eye(paw/eye?) coordination, a certain amount of color vision, marking and scratching behavior, curiosity...and look at all those beautiful photos! Cats caught in the act of making marks on paper.

But when the authors of this colorful coffee-table book start talking about "exploring inner feelings," "mood piece" and "for its own sake," you think, "Ah...this can't be real."

Four-legged action painters? Spontaneous reductionist? Romantic ruralist? This book is a sweet satire. A gentle parody of the world of art-speak. Elaborate and hilarious.

- Sarah Judson

Why Cats Paint
Heather Busch & Burton Silver, authors
Ten Speed Press; Third Printing edition (May 1, 1994)
12"x10" 96 pages
(Caveat: Some of the books listed on Amazon are a small-size, edited version, not nearly as nice.)

Earl Carpenter

We received a note from painter Earl Carpenter (he also has a page at Ask Art), who has been traveling for weeks at a time, over the last forty years, to paint on location. He was wondering if there are any orgaizations for people who do this, to share information, ideas, suggestions and support. We've heard of RV organizations (there are several), but is there one for painters?

We are always amazed to see the Dogwood trees in bloom when we travel through the midwest in spring, and there must be a thousand such spectacles if you know where to look. On the other hand, maybe ordinary situations, like prairie grass when it begins to turn green, cropland in the fall or a pasture full of cattle, can inspire.

If you know about an existing group, or if you'd be interested in creating one, you can get in touch with Earl Carpenter at his e-mail address, mudroom13@msn.com.

Great New Products

"Bugs In a Can"
Couldn't make it outside to paint today? Want to give your studio paintings that authentic "plein air" look? Try Bugs In a Can! Just sprinkle a few of these little winged friends onto your wet painting and voila! It's as though you had just spent all afternoon lakeside in Minnesota in August.


"The Plein-brero"
Forget the umbrella, this modified sombrero is all you need on a sunny day. Shade your person, painting, palette, your lunch, your dog and a friend as well! Generous 8 ft. diameter covers everything you might possibly want in the shade. Complete with vents and heavy-duty chinstrap.

"Invisible Paint"
Talk about no-mess! Create your own masterpiece, and no one can argue otherwise. Any color imaginable, and you can re-use your canvas indefinitely.

"The Inflatable Buyer"
Take this handy companion along for your upcoming plein-air outing. With just the push of a button, spouts handy phrases like:
"WOW! That's amazing!"
"You're the best painter in the world!"
"I'll give you a million dollars, and that's my final offer."
Intrigue passers-by with his/her charming comments. Weighs only 2 lbs. Male and female versions available.

Happy April first!

Self-Publishing

Often it seems that plein-air painting experiences become stories, or our paintings become illustrations, either of a trip or of our own life. Recently, many options have opened up if you want to publish your own book.


Leon Loughridge goes about it the old-fashioned way, using nineteenth century letterpresses and woodblock prints to create his limited-edition handmade books. He was raised on a ranch near Santa Fe, New Mexico, and one of his books, Memories of the Diamond A, tells the stories of that time & place. His other books focus on the Flint Hills of Kansas, the Santa Fe Trail and the Gore Range in Colorado. Also, his guide to traveling with watercolors is available exclusively through Judsons Art Outfitters. His upcoming publications will involve Las Montanas de Santa Fe (poetry by John Macker), Beef Basin, Utah, and the Cimarron Branch of the Santa Fe Trail.

"Maybe I should make a map of where your paint boxes have traveled but then it would be a wiggly zig zag line all over the SW. It is those paintings out doors that become the core inspiration and structure of the woodblocks." - Leon Loughridge

He was also invited to participate in the prestigous annual Coors Western Art Exhibit at the National Western Stock Show in Denver this past January.

Sonoma Plein Air

Sonoma Plein Air is a week long event celebrating the century-old technique of outdoor painting. The Sonoma Plein Air event raises funds to support art education programs for children in Sonoma Valley.

The Sonoma Plein Air Foundation, a non-profit all volunteer organization, presents this annual event that is designed to be casual, interactive and educational.

This juried event brings nationally recognized plein air artists to Sonoma for a week of painting the inspiring landscapes of Sonoma Valley. Whether it is the magnificent green hills with giant oaks, grazing sheep and cows, winding roads, picturesque villages, or the colors and scents of wildflowers---Sonoma Valley in spring is paradise for plein air artists.

For more information about Sonoma Plein Air visit http://www.sonomapleinair.com/

Octopuses Garden Art Alliance

The Octopuses Garden Art Alliance is a non-profit organization in Omaha, NE dedicated to strengthening community interaction through visual, literary and performance arts. Their vision is to integrate Omaha's diverse community by offering workshops, projects and events to all areas of the city and to serve as a catalyst for local schools, non-profits, and businesses to form alliances. They believe that self-expression through art is healthy and therapeutic for each individual, including those with special needs, and making such experiences accessible to everyone will benefit the entire community. For more information visit their website http://www.octopusesgarden.org/

My American Artist's Plein Air Blog

Below is a link to My American Artist's Plein Air Blog. It is bursting at the seams with interesting posts involving everything plein air.

http://forums.myamericanartist.com/blogs/pleinair/default.aspx

Plein Air, Painting the American Landscape

In 2007, PBS aired a six-episode series entitled Plein Air, Painting the American Landscape. The series features artists Matt Smith, Kenn Backhaus, Jean LeGassick, Charles Sovek, Ron Rencher, and Frank LaLumia traveling throughout the country. Viewers will discover the roots of this uniquely American art form and why painting “en plein air” is once again at the forefront of American representational art.

DVDs are available at http://www.pleinairamerica.com/ as well as a preview of the series.

Mark Gottsegen’s Plein Air Encaustic Rig

Some people carry their plein air enthusiasm to extremes. Mark Gottsegen is a plein air encaustic painter. He even made his own portable encaustic palette which he powers by attaching it to his big yellow Metro’s auxiliary power system.

Mark Gottsegen studied painting materials with Reed Kay, and painting with Philip Guston and James Weeks. He began teaching in 1974 and has taught drawing and painting at UNC Greensboro since 1976. Professor Gottsegen has been a member of ASTM International's subcommittee on artist's materials since 1978. In 2006 he became the Co-Director of the Art Materials Information and Education Network (AMIEN), a non-profit organization that is part of the Intermuseum Conservation Association in Cleveland, OH. He is a Contributing Editor for The Artist's Magazine and the author of A Manual of Painting Materials and Techniques (Harper & Row, 1986), and The Painter's Handbook (Watson-Guptill, 1993) a complete art materials reference guide.