The Nepean Sailing Club is one of the MAAPlein Air most popular painting locations. I drove there on Thursday, July 18, 2024 morning, to meet with the other artists on my list. I was surprised to learn from one of the sailboat owners, that the Nepean Sailing Club (NSC) is the largest sailing club of its kind in Canada, with some 500 boats docked in the harbour overlooking the mighty Ottawa River. We arrived early, as usual, to give us time to explore painting locations and get a feeling for the day. There was a heavy cloud formation hanging over the boats, and a promise of sun breaking through and a tension in the air as activity on the docks stirred. The idea of arriving early and having the time to look around and get some impressions, without feeling rushed, is paramount to the process that was drilled into me when I first started painting. I watch artists arriving late, trying to set up their easels while casting about to see what others are doing, and I figure that they are heading for frustration. The formula for success, for me, and I have said it many times is that I don’t set up my easel until I have figured out just what I want to say and how it will be reflected in my painting. I think Awakening reflects my feelings for the day. Charlie
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I am often asked, Why do I paint outside so much when I have a studio? I could reply Because I enjoy the outdoors and the fellowship of other painters, or something like that. It’s true, but there is so much more. With years of training and practise painting en plein air, I have learned to trust my instincts. When I’m out walking with my paints packed, I unconsciously search for subjects that resonates with me: the play of light and shadow, the magnificance of some tall pines, for example - things that give me a sense of wonder and place in this natural world. I stop to listen and I peer into the sky above and the shadows at my feet and all around and let the flood of images coalesce until a composition begins to resolve itself. It’s only when I am comfortable with a basic plan including the canvas size and orientation, I think about setting up my easel and getting out my paints. The painting process itself will take 1 to 2 hours. During that time I become immersed in the process of painting; lost in the concentration of brush work, colours and the search for meaning. When I sense that the painting is finished I arouse to my surroundings, tired and exhausted. It’s always a hit and miss situation when dealing with feelings, but when I get it right, I am transformed from a state of intense work to a euphoria of surprise and relief! From across the road in Burrett’s Rapids, discovering the historic home made me stop in my tracks, wondering about its history. Who built it? How old is it? How the twin doors and spacious veranda fit into the story? I can only guess. Using the reception area as my theme, I painted a 14x11 canvas. After several days with the painting on my studio easel, where I could study it under studio lighting, I made minor colour adjustments, refined a few edges and I was finished. Satisfaction from a great day! Charlie Spratt July 2024 For the third Thursday Manotick Art Association members found themselves, painting plein air, in a magical garden. A record 17 artists settled down with easels and paints among majestic pines and gardens to paint the flowers, trees and the gorgeous setting. The stately home in shadow made a great backdrop for the flowers: brilliant in the sun. It was a magic day.
We decided to start sooner this year because Spring came so early. And we were not disappointed. 15 artists turned out to enjoy the warm sunny day in Dickinson Square in Manotick.
There were questions about finding an outdoor easel, what paints to bring etc. but mostly the artists spread out and got down to the business of painting. By noon most were ready to pack it in and get away. Before we left a number of artists presented their work for others to see. Hopefully the weather will be so kind for rest of the outings, but that’s the luck of plein air painting. Don’t forget bug spray too. See you all next time. Charlie Some may notice the changes that I made to my painting in Manotick on our first painting trip, after I had returned to my studio. I’ve heard it said that ‘ a real plein air painting should start and finish in the field ’. I make changes and colour correct in my studio under indoor lighting. For me, the plein air process plays a major step, part of the development of a finished painting. Charlie It’s early May and the warm temperatures, sunny days and frequent rainy spells, has brought on the colours of spring in breath-takingly short order. It’s as if the road travelled has changed, unrecognizably, over night; the path has come alive with sounds of song birds. Despite all the negative news we read and hear about, we can still rejoice at Nature fulfilling our expectations once again. But how can we express these uplifting feelings in our paintings? Any photos I take never seem to capture the spontaneous rapture I feel when surrounded by nature’s energy and pulsing saturated colour. My radar kicks in and I automatically begin to see possibilities for a painting. I tell myself to stop for a moment, take some time to listen to the sounds and observe the transient sunlight moving through the trees. We are in Blakeney Park today, near Almonte, where the mighty Mississippi River flows over rocks and cliffs and forms small waterways through the forest. The winding paths cross over several foot bridges. I found one colourful bridge that seemed to blend in with the new growth energy, yet placidly leads us over a gentle stream. When I had a plan, I began to paint with vigour. The one-hour 11 x 14 sketch was rough but it had the feeling. In the studio it became my source for a 24x24 painting. No photo required. Plein Air Painting is a bit of a hit-or-miss thing. If I miss the mark of what I experience out there – there is always another day and another canvass. And when I get it right my excitement is palpable. The Manotick Art Association Plein Air adventures For MAA members are starting on Thursday, May 23 at Dickinson Square in Manotick at 9:30 am. 11x14 Sketch Blakeney Bridge 24x24
It feels sooo great to be out painting when spring breaks. The temperature has to rise well above freezing for my acrylics to work well outside – and for me too! We experienced a warm spell earlier: too soon for buds and grasses to have any colour and many of the waterways were still iced over. But now, going into April the spring colours are coming out. A wonderful time to be outside. Over the past month, I had driven by this spot a number times waiting for the warmth of spring to take effect and last week I was rewarded. It was around 3 pm when the shadows begin to lengthen and light takes on a warm yellow cast. Remnants of snow signalled the shoreline and with the multi colours of yellows and soft reds vibrating, the effect was startling. The complement colour of blue-violet, pulsed in the background. No urge to take pictures. I set a 16x20 canvas on my easel and do my best to keep it out of the direct sun. Such a strong motif! No need to define detail, that’s for later. The time and place is now. I squeeze my colours out: warm and cool blues, reds, yellows plus orange and white. With a 1” brush I mix and paint and repaint until the canvas sings with feelings. An hour later, I rest. The sun has slipped lower and I’m satisfied that I have captured the essence. Back in studio I make some minor changes over several days and call it finished. No better feeling for an artist. Charlie, April 2024 On a quiet back country road, late last fall, just as the sun was setting, I drove past a stand of pines; their boughs laden with fresh snow. I pulled over and got out to take a few minutes to breath in the fresh air and experience the light show effect of the last stages of sundown with the orange sky creating a backdrop to the visual drama. I could feel the interaction of the orange and blue complimentary colours, pulsating from the cast shadows. Within minutes the light was gone, like a final curtain, and I shivered as the temperature dropped. The fleeting image of the warming sun remained in my mind, like some forgotten adventure: could it be the time when, as a teenager, I walked home alone in the dark after pick-up hockey at an outdoor rink, or years later, stopping on the last run down the ski hill at Mont Tremblant, in awe of the sundown? When I returned to my studio, I chose a 24x30 canvas and placed it in a portrait attitude on my easel. I squeezed out acrylic paint: phthalo and ultramarine blue, cadmium orange, yellow and white. Then, with a 2 inch brush and sweeping strokes, I roughly painted the colours that were registered in my mind’s eye, like some story from the past enfolding. In the following weeks I continued to follow my instincts, modifying colours and minimizing detail, all the while purposefully taking time away from the canvas in order to reassess the progress. At some point, when I ventured back into my studio and re-examined my painting, my mind said “that’s it. You can stop now.” While no painting is ever perfect to my mind, there comes a time when it feels that my story has unfolded and it's time to let others draw their own impressions. When was the last time we paused to breath in the fresh air and savour the wonder of our natural world? Charlie December 2023 I have been asked about PAE recently. Unfortunately I have no news. I ask myself, are too many of us regulars just getting too senior? Charlie
Just thinking about it brings back memories. I recall the time when we came up with the idea of a painter’s weekend some 30 years ago. Andrew Lyall and Pierrette Dulude-Bohay (who are sadly not with us anymore) and I were having a coffee and chatting about art. We commiserated with each other that we had been painting (watercolours) for a number of years but hadn’t had the opportunity to teach; wouldn’t it be nice to go away with other artists for an extended weekend, where we could practice giving some lessons? We found accomodation at Calaboge Peaks, chose dates and invited our artist friends to sign up. The weekend came around and much to our amazement, we were fully subscribed. Some of the 30 artists were more advanced artists than us! There were beginners too, eager to learn, so the three of us taught watercolour painting for three days. What we noticed, though, was euphoric artists returning from painting each day with stories of hilarious plein air experiences! So back we went to more coffee time! Next time, we decided, no more teaching, everyone should work on their own, including us. We called ourselves Artists Painting With Artists. It was a great formula. We never advertised, just spread the news by word of mouth and recommendation. We travelled as far away as Charlevoix, QC (where we met and befriended nationally-renowned, Bruno Cote), Quebec City and the Eastern Townships, and Montebello and more. We organized Spring and Fall trips for 10 years and then other artists took over the organization responsibilities. At some time, due to the fact that some of us brought musical instruments for a music night, the name got changed to Plein Air Ensemble. What great memories, Charlie December 2023 Autumn Melancholy dressed in a mantra of regal tapestry. Bittersweet dreams. A time to rest and a time for thanksgiving, closure; knowing that peace will come with the sleep of winter. We paint the glorious colour with a palette of time passing, brushwork that yearns for another day and a canvas of memories. Charles Spratt The Art of Charles Spratt – Painting the Seasons and selected essays, 1994 Those words, written 29 years ago, still resonate with me, as I stand by my easel, pausing to breath deeply in the cool fall air, letting the memories filter down; recalling places and adventures and the euphoria that comes with a successful painting when I am least expecting it.
The sugar maples of Eastern Canada are ablaze with reds, but it is the soft shades of rust and vermilion and ancient grasses signalling that nature is preparing for another winter, that calls me to paint. I am forever grateful for a long life, still enjoying plein air painting and the challenges of interpreting reflected light. Back at my studio, after a day of searching for a motif and the fury spent struggling to project my inspiration to canvas, I relax in my chair with the canvas before me, searching for evidence of the energy I felt when I was out there. I find, at times, that I alter the work until the freshness is lost and I discard it. (I keep a roll of double-primed canvas ready to cut and re-stretch for the next outing). If the original sketch sings it’s way through the inspection stage, speaking to me of the great painting day and exciting results, then I have a keeper and I will most likely sign it. Each time I put my name to a painting, the memories of years painting with so many great friends come flooding back. Without them I wouldn’t be a where I am to day. It’s impossible of course, but I would be so proud to show them my work. The truth is that I only have myself to make the final assessment based on my experience and the evaluations of others. That is why art shows such as the Ten Collective are so important. Charlie Spratt, November 2023 |
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