Blog

Ever since I was a child I would spend hours daydreaming about early explorers experiencing the new and untouched wilderness documenting their travels. I would envision wandering the landscape and recording the breathtaking views I encountered. Wyoming is filled with beauty from snowy/foggy landscapes to the breathtaking mountain sunrises. Photos never seem to truly capture the moment and I always long to be immersed in a scene as I paint.
My sister and brother-in-law introduced me to Plein air Magazine and I was instantly hooked to the idea of getting outside to paint. I did some more research, followed pages of other Plein Air artists, and took some online courses.
I have always been one to get a general idea of what I want to do and dive right into an activity. Unfortunately, that did not work too well when I started plein air painting. On my first trip, I was overwhelmed with the scene around me and wanted to capture everything. I struggled to outline my canvas to fit everything, was very distracted, and frustrated as to why I can do something easily in studio but not out here. The painting did turn out nice but it wasn’t what I wanted to capture; however, I did a studio painting of the scene I wanted to capture and the process was smoother than usual because I had been immersed in it. On one trip, I decided to take a hike and got turned around because I thought I knew where I was going! By the time I got to the correct spot I was exhausted and frustrated.
Make a Plan
Though I am an independent person who likes to do things myself I have a poor sense of direction and often need help on hiking trips due to poor balance and blindness in my left eye. Personally, I feel the urge to prove my capabilities and assert my desire to do things alone; therefore, I needed to change my approach so I asked myself these questions: Where do I want to go? How do I get there? What is the terrain like? What do I want to capture in a painting? What tools and techniques do I need to capture the scene?
Over the month of August, I pinpointed where I wanted to go and decided I wanted to venture into the Snowy Mountain Range outside of Laramie. I have never been there by myself though I had a general idea of what the mountains looked like. For a week I studied routes, weather patterns, and pictures of the area. As I studied the area I prepared for the crazy Wyoming weather, got my supplies together, and plotted out my course meticulously. I decided I would get up at 4:00 a.m and catch the sunrise. There is something slightly mischievous about getting up before the rest of the world wakes up!
The drive was successful and I felt a huge sense of excitement when I saw the first essence of light on the mountain. As it grew nearer and nearer I got more excited. When I arrived at Lewis Lake I was awestruck by the calm, quiet, and windless atmosphere. The lake was glass and the scene was more powerful than when I looked at photos. I didn’t know where to begin! I took a photograph for later reference (Lewis Lake Reference Photo 1) I was overwhelmed by the scene and couldn’t see the break between the actual landscape and the reflection. Light was changing and revealing more and more detail. My focus kept going to certain spots and affecting the painting.
Back at home I worked on the plein air painting and just didn’t feel satisfied. I longed for that phenomenal scene I encountered. The following week I went back and took another photo along with a plein air sketch (Lewis Lake Reference Photo 2 and Lewis Lake Plein Air Painting 2). I loved how it came more smoothly; however, I was still not satisfied.
Lessons learned: 1. I needed more planning on the painting process! 2. Lay out a palette and do more mixing. 3. Studio process and outside processes are completely different. 4. Take one trip to study your subject and plan out your painting. Take multiple trips to create reference sketches. 5. Use plein air sketches to work towards a composite image.
Practice
I have never been one to practice the same thing over and over; however, all I could think about was my trip to the Snowy’s and wanting to capture that scene became an obsession. One crucial element to being successful in the field is to also practice with your equipment! Each trip I took this summer one thing that got in my way was the initial set-up; therefore, I practiced setting up my equipment at home and worked on painting techniques outside as well as in studio.
Using my first plein air sketch and reference photos I practiced mixing my colors and laying out scenes. Just like I practiced getting to my destination I needed to practice capturing a scene. Although, Lewis Lake Plein Air sketch 1 was early morning and sketch 2 was midmorning, it helped me work towards my final piece.
Have Confidence
Personally, I tend to have a lot of self-doubt and undermine my capabilities. As I painted on each trip people would walk by and compliment my work but I would waive it off and say “it is a work in progress” or “other people can do a whole piece by now.” I get so worried about time and capturing that perfect scene (especially immediately) I don’t take the time to think about how far along I have come or just enjoy why I was out here in the first place. When I finish a plein air sketch, I discover that I actually didn’t work on it as long as I thought. Even in studio, I complete a portion of a painting and it feels like two hours of work but when I look at the time I realize it has only been one hour and I think: wow, this only took that long? I learned that I know what I am doing more than I realize. As a painter, it is helpful to put yourself in the eyes of onlookers and have confidence in yourself and just enjoy being a part of nature. Plein air painting is about reconnecting with nature, slowing down, personal growth and being part of something grander.
Let it Go!
Let go of expectations. Let go of insecurities. Let go of perfection or immediate perfection. These three words have so much power in our lives and in our artwork. “Early Morning Reflections” is a fitting title for the final piece because it refers to the personal and artistic growth I endured because of this trip. Being immersed in the actual scene and studying sketches helped me build my confidence leading me towards a more meaningful composite image. It is important to have details; however, it is essential to take away the picture (or stop looking at the scene) and let the process unfold naturally. Looking at the reference or actual scene too much can result be overwhelming and resulting in frustration; therefore, impeding the painting. Make a basic plan, have confidence, and let it all go!