Painting tips for Plein Air Painting

"Over View of Color"  16 x 12 inches Acrylic on gallery wrap canvas.  Available at The FIA Rental Gallery, Flint MI

This Summer is the first time I decided to try Plein Air painting. 

Venturing out by self the first couple times, I quickly learned some basic things.  

   1.  Travel as light as you can, and use a easy to carry easel.

The first time out I took my paints, brushes, and a panel, with the idea sitting on the ground would be ok.  Sitting on the ground is ok if you do not mind, grass and bugs getting into your paint.

Oil on canvas panel, 12 x 12 inches, "Just oOver the Bridge"
Available at DPWs

 2.  Find shade to set up and paint in.  Make sure that the spot will stay shaded for the hour or two your working.  The second time out,  found a lovely spot by a stream, and set my easel up in near a tree for shade.  The only problem with that I was at the edge of the shade and within a half hour I was in full sun with the shade moving away from my “perfect view”.

12 x 16 inches, "Bare Tree"
Available at DPWS

  3.  Take water, and a snack.  Racing out to paint before breakfast I soon realized I was hungry, thirsty, and already covered with oil paint, not a good time to walk into a deli and get food.

"Leaning Tree"
Available at DPWs

 4.  Wet lands have bugs,  bug spay, even though I hate the smell has saved me from getting eaten alive.

 5.  When you find a beautiful area to paint, make sure it is still beautiful when you are done.  Always have a bag for your trash.

Oil on canvas, "Willow in the Pond"
Available at DPWS
 6.  This tip is from my latest out door painting day, “Wet Paint”  at Applewood estate in Flint.  Level ground is your friend.  I have to say I had a perfect view on a hill, over looking a garden.  Set my easel up, adjusted the legs for the slope of the hill and painted.  While other artists had sore arms and shoulders, it was my legs that ached at the end of the day.  I had thought about the easel, but not the fact my feet and legs would be getting a work out from the slope I stood on.

Yep that's me, one happy camper:)

 7.  When your painting, try and work on the picture as a whole, not just parts.  With changing sun, and weather, there may be a point you need to stop and possibly finish the work at home.  One painting I worked on, I focused mainly on just one area, leaving a good portion to finish off site.

And did not even take a reference photo for later.  

     When I got home I worked on that painting off and on for the rest of the day, and just ended up frustrated.

  8. When frustrated don’t be afraid to do an about face…paint over it and do something totally different!

12 x 16 inches, Acrylic on canvas, 

Available at DPWs

Oh yes at one time this was a landscape,  but I like this view better :)

                              Mary

painting outside

Work in process, 11 x 14 inches oil on canvas

Today I pulled myself away from the garden and went off to paint in Fenton, MI.
There is a small river that runs through town, a perfect place to paint.  Got as much paint down as I could today, almost done just a few more touches after this layer dries.  Although there were not any other painters out on this fine day, I was not alone.

Next week I will remember  to bring something for my new friends :)
Mary
Schiros-Art

Why I paint, what I paint

                                              At fineartamerica.com
I went to bed last night with my mind in absolute turmoil, could not stop thinking about news and issues.
The last few days I have been drawn to painting a couple of subjects, Buddhas, and horses.  At first I could see no reason, but this morning it all came together.  

                                                                            At Fineartamerica.com

                                                                           AT Dailypaintworks.com

With the Buddha paintings I was reaching for some serenity, in chaos, I look for peace.
But there is a saying I love; “Chaos - where brilliant dreams are born”.
This morning I grabbed a coffee and immediately started another horse painting.  While painting I contemplated the nature of the horse and our Country.  The horse was not native to this Country.  But it was brought here and built and work our lands, together with cowboys, farmers and ranchers, to help build something wonderful.

Our land is a vast mix of people, plants and animals, some native, some not.  How all these mixes work out, depends on if they work together, or if they destroy. 
 The tumble weed is not native, it causes much destruction, it does not blend in and benefit the land, the Starlings take natural areas away from native birds, but he horse has an iconic role in the portrait of the US.
Sometimes I just have to look at the complicated high tech world and break it down to what I can wrap my mind around.

As an Artist, the subjects I paint may seem random, but I guess they really are not. 

                                     Watercolor work in process

Mary

A Gift to Paint

I have been having a blast the last week or so.  A friend gave me a the coolest gift;  a bleached deer skull!  Yep he is a hunter, and gave me this to paint.  Thought I would share some of the work I have done so far....
Today I did a study in ink and acrylic, plan to work this one up later in oil:

Ink and acrylic on paper,
AVAILABLE AT DPWS 

Here are a few more..........Can you tell I am aging FUN :)

   The following are available on my Fine Art America website as prints.

This one is on Zazzle;

Anyways just wanted to share, hope you enjoyed seeing what I have been up to, now back to my brushes :)

Mary

Water is not blue

Already day 8 of painting 30 paintings in 30 days

Color of Water, 12 x 9 inches, oil on canvas

                             Available at DPWs

With small bodies of water, like lakes and ponds, the color depends on the depth of the water, and what is growing in the water.  I noticed that often the color will appear brown, unless there is a strong reflection of light from the sky.  In the case of this pond there were a lot of lilies that were turning tan in color breaking down yet still floating. Fall is here and the nights are cool, so like the leaves on the trees the lilies turn color.  Interesting to keep in mind what is happening in nature when your painting nature.
Mary
Schiros_Art

day 1

Calendula, 5 x 7 inches, oil on canvas panel

                                                                    Available at DPWs
Day one of a new 30 paintings in 30 days challenge,
(Thanks Leslie Seata ).
Today was to beautiful to be inside, so I pulled a chair up a short distance from one of my gardens, and painted my Calendula (also know as common marigolds).  
   These flowers serve multi purpose, one they are pretty but best help keep bad bugs out of the veggies.
    After I painted them decided to snap some photos so you could get a real peek at my garden edges:)

had to sneak a Cosmos in just because..

 Hope everyone is having a great day!
Mary
Schiros_Art