Next summer, I'll be taking part in the second annual "Where in the World Is Plein Air" juried event. The event lasts three days, June 10-12, 2015, and participating artists will be creating one painting a day and posting three video segments daily to show the paintings in process. The paintings will be available for sale the day they are completed, and two weeks after the event, you can see both the sold works and the remaining pieces at the Illume Gallery of Fine Art in Salt Lake City, Utah.
I came across this event last year and enjoyed looking at the field videos and, of course, the paintings, too. (Here are some of last year's videos.) I'm excited to be part of the event this time around. To see the list of 2015 artists, visit: http://www.whereintheworldispleinair.com/
Preparatory to the event, I was asked to write an artist's statement about what inspires me to paint. Here it is:
I am easily inspired to go outside and paint. Sometimes it's a momentary, alchemical mixture of light, color and shade that does it. A stream running through a meadow whispers in quiet contemplation; thunderclouds over a mountain crackle with urgency. At these times, it's all about capturing the moment. At other times, though, it's my need to go out often and seek my roots in nature. This isn't so much about 'capturing the moment' as it is about nurturing my relationship with the landscape, a relationship that has been ongoing for more than half a century now. Rather than working quickly to get the moment down, I spend more time not just looking but also using all my senses to discover, trace and reinforce the patterns that connect me to the land. This type of painting is very spiritual and extremely fulfilling.
