Last week I painted outdoors at a Plein Air event at the Smith Gilbert Gardens in Kennesaw, Georgia, my first plein air outing of the year. The weather was wonderful, the garden in full, glorious bloom and there were 30-35 plein air artists who spent two days painting together. The other artists were great company, encouraging and inspiring at the same time.
At the Smith Gilbert Gardens, I completed three paintings with the above being the best of the group. The composition is simplified and yet the combination of cool and warm colors works together effectively.
Plein air painting forces you to edit the landscape mentally, deleting unnecessary elements to draw the eye to the focus of the painting and develop a good composition. Then there is the issue of light. Colors change with the changing light of day. Cool, crisp colors in the early morning light change under the brightest, direct light of midday and shadows become sharper and darker. I have so much to learn about plein air painting and look forward to every moment of it.
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