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Intermission from color music for today's post.
This summer I am once again trying some plein air painting. You can see how easy it is for me to forget what a mess it was last time. This is a rather long post but if you are interested it is an example of what it is really like to paint outside in new places.
The Wayne Art Center is sponsoring some paint-outs at various places in the area followed by a show in September and I am also joining some HTown Plein Air Artists to paint in farmer's markets and farms for a show in November.
My first Wayne Art Center excursion was to Androssan Farm. I printed out my Google map and off I went last Wednesday. I was able to find the place, no problem, turned into the drive marked Androssan right on schedule and drove up the very long drive over dirt roads and past rolling hills and various structures that definitely were not Androssan. I finally got to what looked like a palatial estate but there were no other cars there and it seemed deserted, so I drove on. Along this road were huge new estates slightly smaller versions of Downton Abbey overlooking plenty of territory with more construction going on. Doubling back since I was a bit early I figured the old estate must have been the right place. I pulled up near the entrance and decided I would paint the large Sycamores that lined the road.
As I started to get out my supplies a woman and a pure white pit bull walked into view. She looked at me inquiringly so I explained that I was part of the Plein Air painting group from Wayne Art Center. I didn't get out of the car. This did not ring any bells with her but she shrugged and said nobody told her what was going on. Just then a truck appeared and she said it contained the estate manager and he might know what was up. Luckily he had an inkling that the plein air painters were actually at the "farm". I followed him down and around more dirt roads over much beautiful scenery with deer loping in front of the car. We finally arrived at a bunch of farm machinery, some run down buildings and an old stone house. This was it. As we got out of the car I asked the estate manager, who reminded my of a character out of the TV series "Justified" if there was a bathroom handy. He said he didn't think so but he would check. There was not a bathroom functioning but there was a hose to get water. mmmm, this was going to be interesting and probably a short visit.
Other people began to arrive and we wondered around introducing ourselves and searching for something to paint. There were some fine looking black Angus staring out from various places and I took some pictures with my phone. I finally settled on a spot that had a fairly level place to put down my supplies.
I had decided to try out some pen, ink and water colors for a change as they are a little less messy if they fall all over the place. I had just completed a pen and ink sketch when it began to drizzle all over the paper causing the ink to run. I waited a bit hoping it would stop but instead it really started to rain so I dashed for the cover of my car moved up to my spot, threw everything in and drove off down the road. I was glad at least I had some photos.
Since I went out at another exit than I went in, I had no idea where I was and it was really pouring. So much so that I had to pull over for a while. I did ask whoever answers questions on my phone where I was and how to get home but their instructions did not seem to fit the situation I found myself in. So after the rain let up a bit I just started driving. I finally found something that looked a bit familiar as well as a Starbucks. How welcome it seemed. I went in, had a mocha latte with soy milk - one of my favorite fast food treats and consulted my phone again. This time it was able to guide me home.
This painting then is not really Plein Air it is Plein iPad. I have made it a bit more bucolic than it really is I think but the more I looked at those sweet faced cows the more I felt they deserved an ideal place...and maybe for them it is.
www.nancyherman.com
This summer I am once again trying some plein air painting. You can see how easy it is for me to forget what a mess it was last time. This is a rather long post but if you are interested it is an example of what it is really like to paint outside in new places.
The Wayne Art Center is sponsoring some paint-outs at various places in the area followed by a show in September and I am also joining some HTown Plein Air Artists to paint in farmer's markets and farms for a show in November.
My first Wayne Art Center excursion was to Androssan Farm. I printed out my Google map and off I went last Wednesday. I was able to find the place, no problem, turned into the drive marked Androssan right on schedule and drove up the very long drive over dirt roads and past rolling hills and various structures that definitely were not Androssan. I finally got to what looked like a palatial estate but there were no other cars there and it seemed deserted, so I drove on. Along this road were huge new estates slightly smaller versions of Downton Abbey overlooking plenty of territory with more construction going on. Doubling back since I was a bit early I figured the old estate must have been the right place. I pulled up near the entrance and decided I would paint the large Sycamores that lined the road.
As I started to get out my supplies a woman and a pure white pit bull walked into view. She looked at me inquiringly so I explained that I was part of the Plein Air painting group from Wayne Art Center. I didn't get out of the car. This did not ring any bells with her but she shrugged and said nobody told her what was going on. Just then a truck appeared and she said it contained the estate manager and he might know what was up. Luckily he had an inkling that the plein air painters were actually at the "farm". I followed him down and around more dirt roads over much beautiful scenery with deer loping in front of the car. We finally arrived at a bunch of farm machinery, some run down buildings and an old stone house. This was it. As we got out of the car I asked the estate manager, who reminded my of a character out of the TV series "Justified" if there was a bathroom handy. He said he didn't think so but he would check. There was not a bathroom functioning but there was a hose to get water. mmmm, this was going to be interesting and probably a short visit.
Other people began to arrive and we wondered around introducing ourselves and searching for something to paint. There were some fine looking black Angus staring out from various places and I took some pictures with my phone. I finally settled on a spot that had a fairly level place to put down my supplies.
I had decided to try out some pen, ink and water colors for a change as they are a little less messy if they fall all over the place. I had just completed a pen and ink sketch when it began to drizzle all over the paper causing the ink to run. I waited a bit hoping it would stop but instead it really started to rain so I dashed for the cover of my car moved up to my spot, threw everything in and drove off down the road. I was glad at least I had some photos.
Since I went out at another exit than I went in, I had no idea where I was and it was really pouring. So much so that I had to pull over for a while. I did ask whoever answers questions on my phone where I was and how to get home but their instructions did not seem to fit the situation I found myself in. So after the rain let up a bit I just started driving. I finally found something that looked a bit familiar as well as a Starbucks. How welcome it seemed. I went in, had a mocha latte with soy milk - one of my favorite fast food treats and consulted my phone again. This time it was able to guide me home.
This painting then is not really Plein Air it is Plein iPad. I have made it a bit more bucolic than it really is I think but the more I looked at those sweet faced cows the more I felt they deserved an ideal place...and maybe for them it is.
ANDROSSAN FARM
8" x 16"
Nancy Herman
oil on canvas board
www.nancyherman.com
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