Just Plein Fun!
Plein air painting is quite a popular pastime now for amateur and professional painters alike. Although I am primarily a studio painter myself, many artists swear there is nothing like painting en plein air (outdoors on location). Facing the challenges of changing weather conditions, as well as rapidly changing light, can force an artist to paint quickly and edit in a more efficient manner on the spot. Even selecting a location to set up your easel to paint can sometimes prove problematic, but often ends with great rewards when a viewpoint not often discovered results in an extremely successful painting.
Sometimes plein air painting can just be a lot of fun. I like to work with kids who are just discovering new mediums to explore and new places to enjoy creating art outside of a classroom setting. Painting outdoors, whether in an urban or rural setting, is eye opening for them as artists.
Recently two of my young students joined me in the woods for a first-time exploration of pastel painting. Neither had really used soft pastels before, so this art adventure was new to them on many levels. Although they had the opportunity to choose from many different views available to them they both ended up choosing the same one for the subject of their painting. Here are photos of the young artists at work, as well as their completed pieces. I think their first attempts are fabulous!
Then, inspired by the historic Lascaux cave paintings in France, we had some additional fun with “rock shadow art”.
Silly? Sure. But certainly fun. Just plein fun!
In the end both boys decided they enjoyed painting on location. The oldest decided pastel was not his “favorite medium” (the verdict is still out with the younger artist) . . . But really who has to make such decisions at such an early age?
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