Plein Air 2012 – Page 2 – Marianne Thompson

Plein Air Painting 2012

September 8th, 2012

September 8th, 2012
Oil on Canvas, 12 x 24 in
Essex Greenbelt, Essex MA
(sold)

I was frustrated with this the entire day, and the day changed so often (weather / skywise) that I re-painted it several times over. I thought I’d try using a brush for a change, be as precise as I could – and I was frustrated for a long time that it didn’t look like what I imagined I was doing. Then came a dramatic change to the sky and I returned to my knife and pulled it together. I realized my frustration with this painting was like a person struggling to use his best English, and being mystified as to why his English wasn’t communicating effectively, and then eventually realizing this was because he actually doesn’t speak english at all, but French.

September 3rd, 2012

September 3rd, 2012
Seine Field, Gloucester MA
16 x 20 in
(sold)

I had spent two weeks preparing to go on a painting trip up in Canada, when the car I’d just spent a great deal of money getting into travelling shape was hit and totalled by a woman in an SUV. As a result I am currently driving a rental, which I was too leery of getting painty to go painting in on Saturday. Then I realized that was dumb, and went on Monday and it was a great relief. The best thing about this painting was the sky; but when I got home I found a case of Tab had fallen into it and ruined the whole thing. Rather than screaming at a cruel fate and giving up, I sat down and fixed it, as best I could. I think it turned out better than it had been initially, and luckily I have no photos of it before the accident to contradict this.

Evening Light – Running to Stand Still

Evening Light – Running to Stand Still
August 25th, 2012
Cox Reservation, Essex Greenbelt – Essex MA
16 x 20 in

This was a rare occasion where the group of plein air painters met from 2 – 7, to try and capture the evening light. I got there at 2:30, and within 10 mins had locked my keys in the trunk of my car, along with my wallet, paints, easel. I spent the next two hours waiting for AAA to arrive. I was philosophical at first, grateful that there was good weather and good company for my long wait – but eventually I fell to brooding. By the time they finally got there, I wanted to leave. But I did not want my own stupidity – or misfortune – to spoil the day entirely. So I stomped off to find a view in which I could relieve my pent up feelings. I hate to say it, but I think I paint best when angry. I’m glad I stayed and I’m glad I locked myself out of my car and made myself mad enough to paint a picture I like.

Day 2 of Tree Workshop…

Day 2 of Tree Workshop…
August 21st, 2012
Cogswell’s Grant in Essex, MA
Oil on Masonite, 24 x 30 in

David P. Curtis, under whose guidance I’ve had the honor of painting en plein air, very kindly gave me (via a generous student who had paid but could not attend) two days of a 5 day workshop on Trees. I have had my battles with trees as I think is well documented. I was transfixed by the clouds this day, and spent several hours and about 4 gallons of paint just trying to key it right. Then there was only an hour left for the rest of the painting – so I did the treeline first, then started the field, then began on my tree. I hated it from the get go and after 10 mins I realized it simply would not do. So I replaced it with a farmhouse which in reality was on my left. The house was facing me dead on so there were no sides visible – which made the whole painting look like a very affected rendition of a 5yr old’s drawing of Home. I did the best I could but then time ran out and I left. When I came back to it the next day most had dried. I guess this should go in my “Disasters” page, but I kind of like it in spite of everything.

August 20th, 2012

Ponderosa Pine in Seine Field
August 20th, 2012
Seine Field, Gloucester MA
Oil on Canvas, 16 x 20 in
(sold)

This was day 1 of the tree workshop. I think you can feel how burnt out but pleasantly warm the field / day was. I built the tree skeleton first, which I don’t always do – and was happy (the following day, seeing it with refreshed eyes) with how it came out.

Approaching Onawee

Approaching Onawee
On the crest of Dusk
Oil on Canvas, 24 x 36 in
(sold)

August 11th, 2012

August 11th, 2012
Oil on Canvas, 18 x 24 in

I haven’t decided whether to “fix” this or just leave it alone. I stopped painting when the wind started stirring and sucking a storm towards me full speed. I was looking to my left at a clump of bushes, because I a) have been in a convoluted frame of mind lately and find it helps to match my brain’s intricacies with intricate subject matter and b) I was seeing cathedrals in them – the branches looked like cold stone arches, flying buttresses amidst stained glass coloured patches of relief. I was more interested in painting “expressive impressionistically” than shooting for precision.

August 4th, 2012

August 4th, 2012
Manchester Festival By the Sea

(photo credit to Dr.DF Thompson.)

July 29th, 2012

I did paint but no photo, it went straight to the junk heap. I need to get to Canada to paint what my soul and eyes are missing.

July 21st, 2012

July 21st, 2012
Cox Reservation, Essex Greenbelt, Essex MA
Oil on Canvas, 16 x 20 in

If you’ve noticed I’ve been quiet of late about my most recent work, it’s because I’ve been quietly getting sick of what I’ve been doing. I endeavored a difficult vista this week in hopes that it would give me a new way of seeing things, a new way of showing them. I have a feeling that this one may be more appealing to me when I’ve forgotten what the scene I was painting REALLY looked like, and I can just see the painting as it is, and not as what it isn’t. The only other thing relevant to mention about this one is that when I started it I had Johnny Cash’s version of “I see a darkness” running through my head; and by the time I was finishing the chorus had blended with another memory, and the combination ran thus: “I see a darkness, oh no I see a darkness – and Lo, into the darkness there came a great Light”