Hi all! I’ve been a busy boy the last week, participating in the Sonoma Plein Air Festival, painting all day, all around the SF Bay Area. It’s been draining and exhilarating, but tomorrow it all comes to a close at the sales event. I’ll be there with my week’s work, as well as a host of recent studio work too. I should have a total of atleast 15-20 paintings for sale. Over 30 other artists (many of whom are superb, and have flown in from other states just for this show!) will also be sharing their work (studio and plein air) all through the downtown Sonoma Square. It should be a very good time. It’s also COVID-compliant, with booths spaced out. Masks are optional since its outdoors.

The event is from 10 am to 4 pm. 40% of all sales go to fund local art programs. You can find out more about the event here- Sonoma Plein Air Foundation - HOME

I wanted to share some of the work I’ll have up for sale. Each little piece has it’s own little story, struggles, and experience. Even more so that way for the plein air work, which is usually an… adventure. LOL. Let’s dive in.

The Hum of Bees At Work-

Things started off well enough. I’d scouted some sites the week before. I don’t know Sonoma County very well, and didn’t know any spots to paint. Can you already tell how I was sort of nervous about this event? Anyways, this is from the Sonoma Botanical Gardens in Glenn Ellen, which are beautiful. I knocked a painting out in the morning.

You can see how much I had to edit things out. And forms never look the same in a photo. The blades of plants and such are just much more obvious in person. A photo likes to separate values into bigger blocks— darks versus lights— but often subtle shifts just don’t seem to read as well as they do in person. Maybe it’s because our active and shifting depth perception allows us to more easily separate shapes of similar value? Perhaps.

It wasn’t all roses though. First, check out that temp!! No quick naps in the car for me. Phew! And then my mount broke off. I tried to paint for the afternoon, but had to let it go. It was just too frustrating. I went home early, and that night I had to repair things. Blegh! I was a grumpy boy.

A Day On The River-

The first few days of the event were tough. First, I was tense and out of practice. This was an event I’ve wanted to get in to for a number of years, and I was feeling the pressure to perform well. No bueno. It’s very hard to not compare yourself to others, but eventually I guess you’ve got to get over it or you implode. Fortunately, no implosions for me. Second, it was hitting 100 every afternoon, and it’s very hard to paint watercolors in that kind of heat— even if you’re wetting the back of your paper and painting in the shade, like I am here. Third, I had expectations for myself artistically. Expectations I wasn’t meeting. And sometimes, when painting plein air, success is about the nuts and bolts of things, and if you don’t get that right, nothing else falls into place. I was definitely not paying attention to the nuts and bolts.

Then, for some crazy reason, I also decided I wanted to paint a full sheet, plein air. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, like Sorolla or Monet. So I gave it a go. Let me tell you, that was a terrible experience. How did they do it?!?! I don’t know. Probably preparation, preparation, preparation. Not only logistics, like shade and timing, but also notans, sketches, color notes. How else? I was smoking something thinking this was an achievable goal Maybe eventually. But not now. Plus, look at the subject. What was I thinking?!?! I guess I’m nothing if not ambitious. I had a column-like composition in mind, really. LOL. Anyways, three hours later I threw it away. I guess failure really is how you learn. This was my low point for the week.

After the debacle, I worked on the little river scene later that same morning. Then I went for a swim in the river. Ahhhh! :) After a few days of this, I knew I needed a change. Fortunately, I had planned to go to the coast the next day anyways.

Muir Beach Overlook

This piece is from a day out painting at Muir Woods and the overlook at Muir Beach. I hiked up to this bluff, but little did I know how steep it was going to be! LOL. I am clearly not in as good of shape as I used to be. My legs are still sore. Hahahaha. Once there, it was a bit gusty, and there was no shade anywhere. So I sat down in the dirt and gave it a go. My brushes were rolling around. I was knocking over my bowl of water, looking for my tissue, etc etc. But I kept plugging away.

When you’re painting plein air, things dry out quickly, and it can be hard to judge values. I had to do multiple washes for the bluff and the water. And then, eventually, I dug in with my opaques, to get the subtle shifts in hue on the steep slopes. Later, when I got home, I did little dobs and dashes to push the values. I generally have a plan when painting, particularly so when working in my studio, but when working plein air, you just have to roll with it sometimes. There’s no starting over, or you’ll miss the experience! The one true mantra is to see it through to the end, and carve something out of that moment. You’ve got to have a little faith, when things look ugly early on.

Ready for Harvest

By Day 4 I was sore, tired, and pooped. Just the right mood for a luncheon at a winery! Time to get buzzed and well-fed. :D The views at Bartholomew Winery are lovely, but I’d painted so many fantastic views over the last few days that I went for something different— an upclose on the grapes and leaves. I got as much done on site as I could, then had to finish the rest at home, adding some glazes, richer darks, etc.

I have to remind myself not to judge my plein air pieces too harshly when I’ve just finished working on them. Pulling them back out once you’re home, where you can look at them as their own art pieces, is very helpful. Then you see just what the image alone needs, not how it reflects (or doesn’t reflect) what you’re seeing in front of you.

Time For a Tasting!

Today I went back to Bartholomew Winery and worked on this piece. By the end of the week, I had my logistics much more in hand. I started by finding a place in the shade. Then I popped up my umbrella to get even light on my board and palette. Then I opened up my tailgate and sat down to paint— something I figured out was very comfy earlier in the week! Painting plein air is already hard enough. No reason to make it harder than it needs to be.

Second, I knew that even though the shadows were going to move (which you can see in the photos), it didn’t matter as long as the shapes were strong enough. Of course, we’re all interested in light, but the more plein air work I do, the more I feel that shadow-work is a secondary endeavor that gets all the credit. You’ve got to get your shapes in order first. You can’t make your whole purpose be a momentary bit of lighting. Or, well, if you do, be prepared for things to promptly move on without you.

From all this, I also made a list of plein air thoughts. Painting plein air is very different from studio work. Of course, you see differently. A photo shows certain things, and your eyes see other things— different values, different color shifts, etc. But also, the logistics are very very different. Additionally, those logistics also affect what you can successfully create. Subjects need to be chosen with more care if you want to succeed, or you need to work much more at simplifying things. The kind of detail and nuance I can achieve at home, in my studio, just isn’t the same as what I do when working plein air. They’re different experiences, and I think the results should be assessed differently too.

Art Rules I Tell Students That I Should Follow Too—

1) Pick a spot in the shade and out of the sun. If there’s not shade, make some.

2) Pick a subject with strong shapes. If your shapes aren’t strong, make them so.

3) Paint value-shapes, not shadow and light. Don’t get caught “chasing the light”. Stack your shapes if you can.

4) Paint smaller than you think you should. It makes everything easier.

5) Slow down and don’t freak out. Other beautiful moments will appear after you’re prepared and are ready to paint.

6) Be your own guide. Draw a notan. Sketch with a pencil on your canvas.

7) Have a plan. Having a notan or a sketch helps you get acquainted with your subject.

8) Simplify.

9) When painting wet into wet, finish one section before you move on to the next. Shrink your scope.

10) Save 10%+ to finish at home, where you can judge your painting on it’s own.

And that’s the whole shebang! I hope to see some of you at the art festival tomorrow in Sonoma.

Sonoma Plein Air Festival is Tomorrow, Saturday the 11th, from 10- 400!