Palouse Plein Air 2011 - My forays into painting in the great outdoors

8x8 Oil on Wood Panel

The Last Titan

4.5"x6.5" Oil on ArtBoard

Palouse Impressions

5"x7" Oil on Ampersand Panel

Palouse Impressions 2

10"x8" Oil on Masonite Panel

The Far Hill

10"x8" Oil on Masonite Panel

The Path Home

Friendly Visitor

A big THANK YOU to my plein air buddies for all their great advice. I am participating in the the Second Annual Palouse Plein Air (2011) - http://www.moscow.id.us/art/pleinair.aspx - the show opens tomorrow evening (Saturday) at Moscow City Hall. It's juried, so fingers crossed, one piece gets in.

Please come by - the reception is from 5-7pm.

I'd never participated in a Plein Air event before. I had the luck to attend one day of a painting workshop with Jim Lamb (www.jimlambstudio.com)while I was still in Seattle, and that gave me a first taste of painting outdoors. So this time, it was, well - "for real".

My first day, I stopped by City Hall for Kathleen Burns to stamp the backs of my (blank) panels. Though I am only entering 3 paintings, I can have as many panels stamped as I want. I guess it's just in case the muse hits and you have enough supply ready...

Each of us received a "goodie bag" - with maps of the suggested locations, a laminated "Artist Working" sign (great idea!) some snacks. Of course I got completely lost, but ended up finding the first location I picked - A nice lady's farm out near Viola, ID. As you can see, I had company.

Day Two (today)This morning I painted up near Iverson Loop, a couple miles out of Moscow. This place is gorgeous. I can't do it justice. I hope to eventually. I am constantly amazed by this landscape, of the Palouse. In the afternoon, I painted across the street from my house, wedged against a fire hydrant. My subject - the *huge* grain elevator directly across the street.

As the weather stays dry and sunny, I plan to keep painting in the mornings. Armed with my maps and my laminated sign (and portable easel, paints, sunhat... ) At the moment my attention span is about an hour and a half per painting, I need to learn patience. Practice, Practice, Practice, and don't waste time, Antonio.