Preview the newest issue of PleinAir Magazine with the Editor’s Letter:
The plein air world lost a beloved painter when Camille passed away, just before this issue was published. (See the article “We Say Goodbye to Camille Przewodek” here.)
In May, I participated in my fifth Plein Air Convention & Expo, held for the first time east of the Mississippi, in the Great Smoky Mountains. For those accustomed to Western landscapes, the lush greens of the Smokies no doubt provided a stunning, albeit challenging, subject. For this Kentucky girl, they made me feel right at home.
Shortly after this issue of PleinAir Magazine goes to press, I’ll be packing up the family and heading further south for a beach getaway. Even if you’re no longer bound to school schedules when it comes to planning vacations, maybe you’re preparing for an adventure of your own. After all, summer is the season for travel. And perhaps no one knows better the joys of exploring unfamiliar landscapes than the plein air painter, eager to embrace new challenges and subject matter. But I suspect I’m not the only one who, after a week or two of traveling for a plein air event or vacation, enjoys returning home.
At the very least, I know that two of this issue’s featured artists share my sentiments. Having grown up on the shores of Hayling Island off the south coast of England, UK artist Clare Bowen found herself drawn back home, after years of backpacking the world, to the fishing village of Newlyn Harbor in Cornwall. Her current residence feeds a lifelong love of water that provides endless inspiration for her paintings. “Not everyone has a feeling of knowing where they belong,” she says, “but I know I belong here.”
For cityscape painter Alex Hillkurtz, that feeling of belonging came when he moved to Paris 10 years ago, after a successful career in Hollywood. “I fell in love with the architecture here,” he says. “Everything is spectacular and beautiful.” Although he does venture out from his favorite city to teach workshops around the world, he remains fully immersed in and devoted to painting Paris.
Lest you worry that focusing on what you know can have diminishing returns, I ask you to consider Camille Przewodek (rest in peace), who won this year’s Annual PleinAir® Salon Grand Prize with the painting that graces this issue’s cover and depicts one of the artist’s favorite subjects. “I paint the same locations over and over again,” she said. “Every time I return to a spot, I learn more about the subject and the environment, and I come away with something different. I made this piece in Petaluma, California, my favorite painting spot. Looking down from a hilltop, I can turn in almost any direction and give my work a unique viewpoint.”
No matter what’s on your agenda this summer, I hope you’ll spend some time exploring your own backyard for new subject matter or new perspectives on familiar scenes. One of the greatest gifts an artist can give viewers and collectors is his or her personal, authentic take on a subject. And where better to find inspiration for that kind of response than in the place you call home?
A Postscript About Pastel:
In this issue’s “The Elements” column, we bring you tips from four of today’s finest painters to help you tackle three common problems pastelists face when painting on location.
For more pastel content, sign up for our free Pastel Today newsletter. Once a week, we‘ll drop a selection of tips and techniques from top pastel artists and instructors; creative prompts and fresh painting ideas; and news about exhibitions, art societies, and competitions right into your e-mail inbox.
Helpful Links:
