We’re about to bake in Dixie — not just Dixie, our entire East coast. And does that put a damper on plein air painting (painting outside)? You bet it does! It wasn’t all that cool last weekend, but the humidity was low, so I managed to get out on Saturday and paint these scenes at the renowned Wilber’s Barbecue in Goldsboro.

A “ground” is a color an artist uses as a base coat before beginning a painting. For “Watermelon Time” I used a ground color not far from the color of the parking lot you see in the painting. Because I was focused on painting ala prima (first stroke), I have way too much “ground” showing through. In “Seasonal Decisions” I don’t mind the orangey ground color coming through as it acts to liven things up. I plan to go back into “Watermelon Time” and lighten some of its values.

There are those that might argue the philosophy I now share with you. In life, what matters most is the journey, not the destination. For people who purchase art, the destination is everything, not how the artist got there. I’m always a little puzzled when I see paintings put in a “plein air” category. Who cares? People generally purchase artwork because they love the art or love the artist, not because the artist did it with their feet, teeth, or painted it en plein air.

Plein air painting has its challenges, but an artist paints en plein air because of the freshness and life it can bring to a painting.


“Seasonal Decisions”
6 x 8" oil on panel