The Art of Charles Spratt
  • Home
  • gallery
  • About
  • Charlie's Blog
  • ART NEWS
  • MAA Plein Air
  • Contact

Learning on the GO

9/10/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture#221061 Under Cover 11x14 acrylic
The MAA Plein Air group had an opportunity to paint on the grounds of the Heather Haven Farm Horse riding facilities in Kars this past Thursday. We enjoyed a beautiful warm day with blue skies. Some of the majestic horses could be seen in the pastures nearby.

I found a spot to set up and became absorbed in firming up a composition before getting out my paints. As I began to take tentative efforts with a brush, still unsure how to pull the painting together, I sensed movement coming from the old shed. I looked closer and realized that there was a horse standing there, looking at me.

I rushed to capture the outline of the horse, thinking that it might decide to spoil the moment by joining the other horses in the pasture. How long the horse had been standing there watching what I was doing, I’ll never know. Long enough though, to awaken my radar and recognize a painting opportunity when I saw one. I had my story – a motif *.

To my mind, that’s what makes plein air painting exciting. We practise painting outside, in challenging conditions, in order to be ready for whatever surprises come along: a sunset, a revelation or even just a special quiet moment. We need to be open to ourselves; aware of moments of inspiration, asking ourselves what was the initial attraction? How can we best express it all with brush and a two-dimensional canvas?

This plein air business is so subjective; it’s a trial and error process really. Failures are common, but when we have a winner, we can surprise ourselves with the results and failures always have a lesson. On looking back at some of my work from years ago, I can now see where the paintings need improvement. At the time they were painted I thought my art was pretty good – the best I could do. But I moved on, along the never-ending road to enlightenment.

Charlie

September 2023
* motif - a distinctive feature or dominant idea in an artistic or literary composition. Google




0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    C. Spratt

    The Art of Charles Spratt

    Archives

    April 2025
    January 2025
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    December 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    March 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    October 2016

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed


​HOME

​​

GALLERY

ABOUT

BLOG
​ART NEWS
MAA PlEIN AIR
CONTACT


©2021 - Charles Spratt Art  |  All Rights Reserved.
  • Home
  • gallery
  • About
  • Charlie's Blog
  • ART NEWS
  • MAA Plein Air
  • Contact