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| Painting in Lubec, Maine |
With the wakening of spring comes the sudden appearance of plein air painters. Long hibernating in their dens, dreaming of interesting patterns of light and shadow, they are called by Nature to follow the steps of their forebears. Yawning as they lumber out of winter, they stretch and blink and sniff the air to catch the scent of sap rising. They are about to begin a feeding frenzy that will last through all of spring, summer and fall until it is time to return to their long sleep. But for now, even though they are thirsty and hungry, their first thought is to find someone to paint with—and preferably several.
Recently, a painter, new to plein air, wrote to me and asked how to start a group. “I would like it to grow into an active group that does workshops, outings and more, but I struggle finding artists interested.”
First, why form a group? You can certainly paint on your own. But a group provides many advantages: opportunities to learn from others, a sharing of resources (such as carpooling), safety when painting in a remote area, as well as enduring companionship. And sometimes, a group is the best thing to keep you motivated and painting.
Finding others like ourselves can be hard, especially if we live rurally or are self-taught. We're like some rare animal trying to find a mate. Over a few hundred square miles, there may be only two or three of us. How do we find each other? First, locate a watering hole that other members of your species might frequent. You might seek out museums, art centers, galleries, frame shops, art supply stores—anywhere another painter might see a notice tacked up announcing the formation of a plein air group.
If you live truly in the sticks with no such watering hole, you will need to range farther. Perhaps there is a state plein air group that would be willing to help you form a chapter. Or, you can offer to host a paintout in your area with that group, and it might do some advertising to help find other potential members near you. Perhaps the closest big city has a similar group, and you might reach out to it, as well. But if none of this is true, then what?
Let yourself be seen when painting outdoors. When the curious approach, be friendly. Show them what you're doing and how you do it. If they want to learn more, offer to teach them. (If you're a beginner, don't worry; you have something to teach, even if you're just one chapter ahead of your students.) If they don't want to invest in all the gear and materials right away, perhaps you can share a bit of paint, a brush and a small canvas. Invite them to paint with you next week.
Also, start with the small goal of simply getting someone to paint with, and keep things casual. Think “I have painting buddies” rather than “I'm trying to form a painting group.” As you get more people to paint with, you might consider setting a higher goal of organizing paintouts that are advertised and open to the public to increase your membership. If you're active in social media, you can spread the word through your favorite platform. If not, ask your members to spread the word. (By the way, PleinAir Magazine will gladly add you to its list of plein air groups, which will raise your visibility.) Soon, no doubt someone will want to take the group to the next level, which might be hosting a competition or a workshop or organizing painting trips.
But don't wait to get started. I can smell the sap rising.
Are you new to plein air painting or would you like a refresher? Check out my Plein Air Essentials site, which offers discounts on all of my courses. Courses are self-study, self-paced and online.
By the way, I will be demonstrating in gouache for Beginner's Day at Plein Air Live. I hope you'll join me. Go here to find out more about the program. Discounts for early registration!
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