A Tricky Start to the Plein Air Season

 And we're off.  Plein air season has begun.  I say this as rain pounds against my window.  It's just a spring thundershower, but wimpy me is inside with the heat on.  Maybe I'll go outside to paint tomorrow...

I did get my paintings submitted to Plein Air: A Chronicle of Lake Oswego which is part of Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts  June 20-22, 2014.  They were due last Friday, and even with the grandkids here, I got the photos of the paintings shot and emailed.  At least I thought I did. Yesterday, I got a frantic phone call and email from the organizers, wondering where my work was.  What?  I sent it.  And they didin't have it.  I had no idea that there was a problem.  No messages on the computer that it didn't send...nothing.  The organizers graciously allowed me to resend the images.  I'm not kidding...it took 15 emails to get the images to them.  Six images.  I tried sending them all at once, splitting them into groups of three, sending them individually...and they finally all got there after 15 tries.  Some of the emails just vanished in transit, which I think is really weird.  I don't get it, but I'm happy that they arrived!

Here are the pesky images that they will be picking from...all painted on location in spring weather at Lusher Farm in Lake Oswego, and the Upper Easement next to Jantzen Island.

I Know A Place   12x24 plein air- oil paint   N Equall

Through The Trees   12x12 plein air pastel  N Equall

A Warm Welcome  12x16  plein air pastel  N Equall

The Way Things Used To Be  12x12 plein air pastel  N Equall

Lucky Clover  6x6 plein air pastel  N Equall

Along The Path  6x6 plein air pastel  N Equall

Umpqua Plein Air 2013- Best of Show!

First Look   6"x6" plein air pastel  Best of Show- Umpqua Plein Air 2013

This was my third year participating in Umpqua Plein Air, put on by the Umpqua Art Association in Roseburg, OR.  As in previous years, the plein air event was wonderfully organized, with all the information spelled out ahead of time.  The actual schedule of events was different from previous years...this year, the quick draw was held for two hours on the afternoon of the first day.  

I arrived in Roseburg about an hour before the event began, so I had a chance to check in to my favorite little place to stay in Roseburg, the Rose City Motel.  It is the cleanest and most comfortable motel I've ever stayed in, and at about $50 per night, it is a real bargain.  The rooms look like they are straight out of Country Living magazine circa 1983.  I was in the garden room, and the bed was as comfortable as my own at home.  

The quick draw was held in the park outside the Umpqua Art Association gallery.  My painting was nothing to write home about.  It happens.  Plein air painting is hard!  

Quick draw entry- photo shot in the back of my car, complete with reflections on the glass and poor color choices.  It started off a pretty nice painting, but I killed it somewhere along the way.  Oh well.

There was a catered dinner in the park after the quick draw, followed by a nice talk from the show juror Brenda Boylan, who spoke on the Good, Bad and Ugly in regards to painting plein air. 

The next day dawned partially cloudy, with a high chance of thunder showers.  I had signed up to paint at the Norris Blueberry Farm about ten miles NW of Roseburg.  The farm was awesome.  I wandered around for about a half hour, taking lots of photos and trying to decide where to set up my painting gear. Once I got near the pond (complete with two swans), I knew my search for a painting place was over.  It was absolutely amazing. The swans begged to be painted- beautiful white feathers, exotic black lined eyes and beaks, and then those weird legs that looked like their flesh colored tights were falling down.  They spent over an hour preening themselves on a little island just off shore from where I set up my easel, and I was very tempted to paint them, but I just couldn't once I started to really soak in the territorial views.  

I couldn't decide which view to paint, so I started two paintings- one looking north, and one looking east. I could see both directions from my easel. Because of the chance of rain, I set up my big Eddie Bauer beach umbrella from Costco.  It's huge, it's beige, and it works.  

I am a fair weather girl, and I just don't paint outside when it's anything but dry and pleasant. That is, up until now.  This was a timed event, and I had until 4 pm to produce something for the show.  I was pretty excited about the sky show that was going on, and the constantly changing state of the light on the landscape.  A pretty major storm was moving into the northwest, and it was fascinating to be a witness to the subtle and not so subtle changes.   

I chose to do a 6x6 and a 12x12 painting for the competition.  I hoped that at least one of them would turn out ok.  I never know if my idea is going to pan out, especially with the added stress of being in a timed competition.  Painting outdoors is challenging under the best of conditions.  I settled on my compositions, sketched them in, and using thin oil paint, completed both underpaintings.  It was feeling pretty humid outside, so I did a little blotting onto the underpaintings to try to get them to dry faster.  I didn't want to put much pastel onto the surface before the Gamsol was dry, as it melts the pastel onto the surface, and gives a darker look to the light colors.

photo- the view to the north, Norris Blueberry Farm

The 6x6 almost painted itself.  As soon as I noticed the sun lighting up the edge of the treeline, I was interested.  Then I noticed the trees that were a bit further back, and that I could see through the trunks to the fields behind.  That was it. I was totally besotted with the scene.  I love it when that happens!

The 12x12 scene was almost as easy to choose.  The view up the valley was spectacular, especially with the storm clouds piling up against the mountains to the east.  Purple and blue. Delicious!

I had not really planned for inclement weather.  I had a fleece zipup, but I had neglected to bring long pants or real shoes.  I was fresh from Hood River, and it had been around 90 degrees there.  If not for that Eddie Bauer umbrella, I would have been up the proverbial creek.

As the storm blew in, it got colder.  The wind started blowing.   And then it started raining.  Hard.  I saw other artists make a run for cover, and I thought about packing it up, but then I realized that I was dry under my umbrella. My easel, cart, pastel box- everything stayed totally dry.  I was chilly, but dry.  I figured I may as well stay put and finish my painting.

I was amazed when, in the middle the pouring rain, there was a tiny break in the clouds behind me and a brilliant ray of sun lit up the trees I was painting.  It lasted about 45 seconds, and was absolute magic.  I've never seen anything like it.  Probably because I NEVER paint outside when it is raining. It was fun adding the bright gold sunlight to the back of the field in my painting, and made coming up with the title much easier!

Sunbreak   12x12 plein air pastel    N Equall

I had no problem finishing both paintings before 2:30, and was even graced with a break in the rain, allowing me to pack up and get back to my car without getting soaked.  I backed into an open shed, and got both paintings framed without incident, and then safely turned in at the art center.

I was totally surprised and thrilled to be awarded best of show for my little 6x6 painting First Look.  The paintings from the plein air event will be on display at the Hallie Ford Gallery at the Umpqua Valley Art Association in Roseburg through October.

I'm looking at these cloudy skies a little differently now, and actually had another opportunity to paint an approaching storm a couple of weeks later at the Hillsboro Plein Air event. More on that next time...

Paintings From Indian Ford Show in Sisters Oregon

Indian Ford Meadow III  12x36 pastel  N Equall

There are a few places in Oregon that really strike a special note for me.  A couple weeks ago I was able to revisit one and found another to add to my list.

I had to drive a couple of paintings over to Sisters for a show(Paintings of Indian Ford) that opened on September 24 (thru Oct 9 at Sisters Art Works).   I could have shipped them, but it was a good excuse to get some more painting time and the weather was gorgeous.

I drove up to Three Mile Lake on Thursday evening, and was there for the sunset. I took photos and a little sketching, but I got there too late to set up my painting stuff.

Friday morning I drove a couple miles east of town and found some beautiful views of fields and the mountains.  Lots of material for future paintings.  I also checked out Camp Polk Meadow, which is just around the bend from Indian Ford Meadow, the site of the paintout in July.  It was beautiful there, and after wandering around taking pictures for a couple of hours I set up to paint at the north end of the preserve under the pines just outside the split rail fence.  I stayed all day, did two paintings, and met a really cool local quilter/photographer/pet portraitist, Mary D Smith.  She straightened me out on what the big flock of birds that swooped almost into my face and landed in the tree right behind and above me was(pinion jays).   I was thrilled when she came to the reception, and brought me a gorgeous digital painting that she had done of my lab Deuce.

Indian Ford Meadow II  11x14 pastel  N Equall

I really feel so blessed.  I can do what I love in beautiful places, and I keep meeting the most wonderful and interesting people along the way.

Plein Air Wonderland!

Beginnings  11x14  pastel  plein air  painted at The Gorge White House  Hood River, OR

What an amazing summer this has been!  I just finished up the Pacific Northwest Plein Air 2011 in the Columbia River Gorge, put on by the Columbia Center for the Arts in Hood River.  This was a juried event, which means artists applied before the event with an application and samples of their work, and in this case forty artists were selected to participate.  I was thrilled to be selected!  The rules were pretty straightforward- up to five paintings could be submitted, and they had to have been painted in the previous two years.  And they were to be plein air paintings, meaning they were painted in the open air, not in the studio.

Above the Orchards  11x14  pastel  plein air 

I didn't have five paintings to submit.  I had one, and it didn't thrill me.  This event has an associated five days of paintouts.  In previous years, a majority of the paintings sold at the show were created during the paintouts, so I didn't freak out too much about not having completed paintings going in.  OK, I was a bit stressed that I didn't have a backup plan in case my paintout work wasn't up to snuff, but I didn't have a lot of choice in the matter.

Investing in Gold  pastel  plein air  11x14

Before the paintouts started on August 25, I made sure I had all the supplies I would need for framing, the actual frames, and my sand paper mounted onto boards.  I decided to try to frame without mats where possible to make the framing easier, which was a good choice for me.  I ended up with one painting that needed a mat, but I had extras already cut and ready to go.  I cleaned the car out, had dog supplies, extra shoes, and had the housework done and groceries stocked up.  

Haven  8x10  pastel  plein air

My one regret is that I didn't make arrangements to stay in Hood River during the paintout.  I drove back and forth from SW Portland.  The drive is beautiful, but it was difficult seeing that beautiful light in the early mornings and evenings and being stuck driving instead of painting.  There are two hostels in the area that I considered trying out, but they don't allow dogs.  I consider Deuce to be an essential art of my plein air equipment- he keeps an eye out while I'm submerged in painting.  He also insists on occasional breaks and helps me explore an area before settling down to paint.  He rarely complains and is very good company.

I was out painting four out of the five days, and went to three of the painting locations.  I absolutely adored one the the locations on a plateau above the town of Mosier, five miles east of Hood River, and spent two very full days painting there.  Three of the paintings I submitted were painted there- Haven, Looking Back and Investing in Gold.  The other two (Beginnings and Above the Orchard) were painted at The Gorge White House, up hwy 35 south of Hood River.  

The show starts this Friday September 2, 2011 at the Columbia Center for the Arts in Hood River with a preview party from 4-6pm and the opening reception from 6pm to 8pm.  The public is invited.  The gallery show will continue thru September 25.

Looking Back  10x20 pastel  plein air

Coming up- Yamhill Lavender Festival and Plein Air Art Show

From the 2010 Yamhill Lavender Festival, painted at Lavender Vally Farm in Hood River, OR (sold)

I have participated in the Yamhill Lavender Festival Paint-Out as an artist for the past four years, and this year I have volunteered to work on getting sponsors and donations for the prize portion of the art show.  I am happy to be helping out because I love the event so much and would love to give back some of what I have gotten out of it.  This event is absolute painting heaven.

The way it works is artists register before June 1(for discounted registration fees) to paint outdoors in the lavender fields between June 24 and July 8.  At the end of that two week period there is an art show in conjunction with the Yamhill Lavender Festival.  The art show and festival are held in Yamhill, which is about a half hour drive west of Beaverton (south of Forest Grove).  Being a plein air show, all art is fresh off the easel, having been painted in the outdoors during the previous two weeks.    

If you're interested in participating, click on  this link 

For more information on the Oregon Lavender Festival  click here

There are a wide variety of lavender farms that participate, and registered artists have access to them during the two weeks prior to the art show.  An information packet will be mailed to registered participants before the event begins.  Monies raised by the Yamhill Lavender Festival benefit local children's art programs.