ok! so here's day 2 of plein air. this one was even more of a response to being outdoors than anything. while I was painting I was keenly aware of dogs (maybe coyotes? I know there are some around here, but it was mid afternoon?) howling in the distance, acorns dropping and plopping into the lake, and dry leaves rustling. I only had about 45 minutes to paint, but I didn't want to miss another day (didn't get a chance to paint yesterday), so I got tight down to business. I'm pleased with the composition of this one.

through the leaves
9x12, acrylic

Over the years I've  given plein air a few trial runs, but I usually end up just painting from my mind instead of painting what's right in front of me.   Like the time I ended up with an abstract expressionistic  floral still life in a beautiful vase after standing in front of a gorgeous garden all day... 

I tend to paint  intuitively, seldom worrying about lighting, exact colors, detail etc., so it is often a struggle for me  to stay on task when I'm painting plein air.   The way something makes me feel usually overrides actual content of what it looks like.  I concern myself with the essence, the energy of something, rather than trying to capture what something actually looks like.  This month I'm going to merge this with daily (or as close to daily as I can swing) plein air work.  I'm doing this as part of the upcoming winter exhibit at Kennedy Heights Arts Center.

The year's theme is "Cold Hands/Warm Hearts" ...with the idea that Winter is a season full of stark contrasts... (bright snow/dark skies, freezing temperatures outside/cozy fires inside, giving/receiving. External elements draw us nearer to each other at this time of year. We gather together to stay warm, to commune with family and friends. We bundle our thoughtsand our art, cold hands/warm heart.)...

Carrying abstract expressionism out into nature seems like a stark contrast, it feels counter intuitive (uh, couldn't I just do this in the warmth and convenience of the studio?! what am I doing?!?), but in many ways I know intuitively that this journey upon which I am now embarking it is the exact thing I should be doing right now with regards to my work.  I'm not sure how this is going to end up as an exhibit installation, but I'm really looking forward to the journey...  The hardest part is getting started... and so today I did.  Have a look see:

Please feel free to leave comments on the blog.  I love to hear from people  PLUS, it just may prove helpful as I put together the exhibit next month.  Thanks for stopping by!
Maggie