DISCOVER THE FASCINATING LANDSCAPE OF PLEIN AIR PAINTINGS AND HOW THEY TURN MOMENTS INTO MEMORIES .
| BY LISA SHERRODD |
Picture this — an artist with an easel capturing the curve of the ocean shoreline , sunlight dancing on the waves , the sand dotted by a colorful cacophony of beach umbrellas . Perhaps a group of painters is staged along a meandering pathway beneath live oaks dressed with Spanish moss , light filtering through the leaves . Outdoor “ plein air ” artists , like these , can be found throughout the country among natural colorful landscapes and classic urban architecture . Though the subjects may be limitless , they have one thing in common : Each scene captures one , singular , unreplicable moment-in-time .
COCO TAFOYA / UNSPLASH
EN PLEIN AIR “ En plein air ” painting , a French term meaning “ in the open air ,” came into practice in the mid-1800s , spurred by the invention of the tin paint tube . Up until this time , artists were limited to the use of ground pigment mixed with medium in the studio , a process not conducive to attempting works in the field . With the additional advent of lightweight collapsible easels , impressionists such as Claude Monet , Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Camille Pissaro embraced the practice of creating studies and complete works insitu , and plein air painting became popular .
Plein air works can be rendered in a variety of mediums . There are , of course , the traditional oil painters working in the impressionistic genre — yet pastel artists , watercolorists , gouache painters and travel sketchers find their place among the plein air scene as well . Many attempt to complete their paintings “ alla prima ,” an Italian term meaning “ at once ” or at first attempt .
Plein air artists strive to capture a sense of place , and chances are the emotion felt when immersed in a scene is what is rendered on the canvas . In short , what one experiences at that particular time : the cozy warmth of sunlight , a refreshing spray of cool mist , the sound of the crashing waves , is interpreted with each brushstroke by the artist . As a result , oftentimes picturesque locations pleasing to vacationers are also attractive to artists . With this in mind , plein air pieces can turn a moment into a memory , becoming family heirlooms to be passed down for generations .
Georgia artist Ann Dodys paints during the Olmsted Arts ' Georgia Color PaintQuick at Musgrove Retreat .
SPRING / SUMMER 2023 | SEA ISLAND LIFE 65