Thursday, October 3, 2013

Chadwick Morning

Diane Mannion, Chadwick Morning, 8x10" oil on linen, plein air
SOLD
Why We Paint Outside

Cool morning, slight breeze, cloud speckled sky.  Artists gather, chatter, settle down to paint.  Two or three hours fly by along with screeching gulls and clinking sailboat halyards.  Boats putter and hum along the Intercoastal Waterway and across Lemon Bay.  We paint what we hear, what we smell, what we feel... along with what we see.  Beginner to advanced, we all leave with an authentic experience expressed in paint.  This is why we paint outside.

 My view from Chadwick Park.   Painting was completed on location except for scratching in the halyards with my trusty meat skewer stick later.

A curious heron was disappointed that the muffin crumb I tossed wasn't a shrimp.
And not only did I get to hear, feel, smell and see while painting this morning... I also got to taste!  An artist was picking seagrapes from a nearby tree.   "They're ripe," she said.  "Good for making wine and jam."
So after living in Florida for over twenty years I ate my first seagrape and it was DELICIOUS!
This is why we paint outside.
















8 comments:

Judy Baker said...

Beatiful painting! and love your post too.

Matt Chinian Painting blog said...

Great blog!

Diane Mannion said...

Judy, thank you. It's nice to know you liked my painting and post.

Diane Mannion said...

Matthew, I appreciate your kind words!

The Art of Phil Chadwick said...

Nice work... Plus I fully agree with your vision of plein air painting. Phil Chadwick

Diane Mannion said...

Thanks, Phil! Painting outside is addictive. Difficult to get back into the studio.

Wendy Barrett said...

Sounds divine Diane! I am becoming keener by the day to try plein air painting. Particularly after a walk on the beach the other day that was too beautiful for words.What type of easel do you find the best for your outdoor work?
Love your Chadwick Morning painting!!

Diane Mannion said...

Hi Wendy,
I love the EasyL paintbox easel! Have used it for years. Mine's about 11x16" or so, the Classic version (no wet panel carrier. I use Raymar carriers instead).
Have a Gorilla Painter Heavy Duty tripod and an EasyL umbrella.
Have glass inside my paintbox...silicone bathtub sealer holds it in. I always have paint inside box because I use the paintbox in the studio also... plastic wrap keeps the paint fresh.
Beware: Painting outside is addictive! Studio work seems like, well, work compared to it.
I'll be looking for your work.
And thanks for the nice compliment.