In Search of the “Plein” Truth

Sunset Hamilton Harbour

It’s 6pm and the sun is sliding rapidly towards the horizon. I head out with my gear to catch the technicolor, show of light which is about to begin. Painting sunsets is like trying to catch a butterfly. Fleeting is the word that comes to mind. As we observe nature first hand, we are basically “painting light”… or the effects of light on the landscape.

Best Oil Award "Ely's Harbour" Collection of Michael Harding

Anyway, last week was the Bermuda Plein Air Festival and I was just one of 50 artists on the island, trying to capture that elusive impression. After a week of painting, friendship and sunburns we were ready to show the world our efforts. The exhibit was hung and the wine flowed at the Bermuda Society of the Arts in Hamilton. The judges seemed determined to give me the Best Oil painting award so I had no choice but to accept. I’m being deliberately, self-deprecating in case you missed that. I was THRILLED! 

Opening Reception at The Bermuda Society of the Arts

But back to my sunset… here are a few tips to help make a successful painting:

• Get there early to set up, and sketch in the big shapes of the landscape. Create a notan or abstract design pattern of light and dark in the clouds. Compress your values into 3 general tones; light, halftone and shadow. 

• Use a light that attaches to your easel to see your canvas and your palette as the light fades. You can also stand under a source of light such as a street lamp. 

• Make the value of the sun lighter than the surrounding sky.

• Push temperature contrasts; to make the brilliant colors of a sunset stand out, you need to control the saturation of the background sky.

Painting at Southcote, Bailey's Bay

“Realism is not based on the way things are, 

but upon things as you see and feel them.” - Charles Woodbury

St. George's Bermuda

Plein air painting is hard… but I think it’s supposed to be. People often say to me “painting must be very relaxing.” And my response is always “if you’re relaxed then you’re doing it wrong.” Painting is like solving a puzzle, where disparate elements come together to create a whole. As artists we’re meant to be astute documentarians of the world around us. Not in the mindless copying in mosaic of all we see - but a fresh vision uniquely our own. It’s the invisible something in a painting which makes it good.

The participating artists at Coco Reefs Hotel

About the Bermuda Plein Air Festival:
Historically Bermuda has been a popular plein air destination; Winslow Homer, Andrew Wyeth, and Georgia O’Keeffe have all found inspiration here. The Festival is organized by the Plein Air Painters of Bermuda and supported by a number of organizations such at the The Bermuda Arts Center at Dockyard and the Bermuda Department of Tourism.

How to Inflate Your Life Raft

Let me begin by saying that 2018 was the most challenging year of my life. Through a series of mind-expanding experiences and very difficult decisions, I made some big changes. The mind is a very flexible tool. A curious phenomenon takes place when we venture beyond our limitations. It's like pulling the cord on an inflatable life raft - once expanded it’s hard to shove it back into its original shape.

“Realism is not based on the way things are, but upon things as you see and feel them” – Charles Woodbury

Gallery One Seventeen, Hamilton Bermuda

View of Elbow Beach, Bermuda 11x14

The best gifts I've ever received have been questions I couldn’t dodge. Good questions are better than good answers, in that they give us purpose. I'll admit it, I’m a pleasure centered person, the fear of being uncomfortable is a very palpable thing. But my fear of failure is overshadowed by the realization that life is a gift, we have to make the most of it and not waste a moment. I took a leap of faith, chose the road less travelled and let the universe direct me with a trust in the knowledge that I’m not in the drivers seat as much as I'd like to believe.

“It’s easier to paint the angel’s feet in another’s masterwork than to discover where the angels live within yourself.” – Art and Fear

In many ways the creative process is a metaphor for life: it’s letting go of fear, trusting in our abilities, and accepting our “mistakes" with patience. It’s also about asking tough questions. It’s problem solving on a visual level and the reality that painting is not a mindless escape. It takes a highly evolved, series of mental maneuvers to create a great work. That being said, believing that every painting you make must be absolutely perfect is an unrealistic goal. You’re never going to achieve it, so you become too scared to even try. Instead of aiming for perfection, strive for every painting to teach you something and learn from your mistakes.

Hog Penny Pub, Bermuda 8x10

I spent a lot of time in Bermuda over the past year, teaching and painting.The most satisfying thing about teaching is that I get to help people step outside of their comfort zones and stray from their intellectual neighborhoods long enough to learn something new. The first challenge is to break down the psychological barrier that you must be born with the ability to draw or paint. Art is a universal language and it is so because it's the expression of the feelings of all men. The word ‘truth' is often used in the discussion of painting. It speaks of the creative process as a soulful act. The power of seeing the world in the most truthful of ways requires extraordinary intuition, an insight into subjects which are dark to ordinary vision. Creativity is about engaging with the world and awakening an emotion in ourselves and in the minds of others.

"Have no fear of perfection you'll never reach it" – Salvador Dali

One of the most talented artists I’ve had the pleasure to meet is Nancy Guzik (married to Richard Schmid, another huge influence). While painting together on a cold winter day in Brattleboro, Vermont she compared the process of painting to a horse race. It’s important to pace yourself; lay in a good foundation, maneuver through the painting with confidence and skill and hold back till the finish line is in sight. This resonated with me because as in life, I lack patience and want to get to the good stuff first. The creative process does not come easy, it takes real effort to move beyond mediocrity. As is the case with professional athletes, musicians and great artists, this “ease” comes from years of hard work and practice. Our ego wants it easy. In reality nothing worth doing ever is.

I hope you'll join me for a workshop in 2019. 

The next journey is a Brush with Portugal May 20-28th. 

Visit www.elicedrone.com for my workshop schedule in 2019