A RT I S T S
REBECCA ROSENHECK,
WHO PAINTS EN PLEIN AIR
PHOTOS DON’T DO JUSTICE TO
WHAT THE LANDSCAPE SHOWS
EARLY INTRODUCTION: I grew up in Baltimore near the Walters Art Museum,
and my father would take me to see the paintings. But he didn’t think it was
practical to be an art major, so I studied engineering. In 1986, I took a class in
pastel-painting at the Montclair Art Museum; in the spring and fall, we
painted outside, en plein air.
CHALLENGES AND REWARDS: Photos don’t do justice to what the landscape
shows. I always take photos for reference, but I need to work outside to be
accurate. I pull the pastels I need, or have the palette set up to render the
landscape. Every 20 minutes, the light changes, and there are shadows. It forces
you to see what’s in front of you, and to put down the most significant parts
of the painting quickly.
WHERE ART AND SCIENCE INTERSECT: I am continually experimenting to creatively
integrate different painting techniques using varied painting surfaces, mixed
media, solvents and mediums. For instance, in “Wisteria in Bloom at Van Vleck,”
I used sandpaper as the painting surface, with first pen and ink, and then a light
application of gouache [opaque watercolor]. After the gouache dried, I used
pastel on top.
IMMERSED IN NATURE: I love color, and to me, the most beautiful colors are
found in nature. Painting outdoors makes me feel as though I’m immersed in the
landscape.
Rosenheck’s rendering of Van Vleck Gardens is part of the Special Fall-Holiday
Showcase at the Berkshire Hathaway office in Livingston. ■
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MONTCLAIR MAGAZINE FALL 2016