ABOUT PLEIN AIR PAINTING

 Plein Air Painting      

 by Nancy Heindl               

I have enjoyed painting “plein air” for over 30 years. Plein air painting is a French expression which means “in the open air”.

Painting outdoors on location “plein air” has become very popular. There are now many groups devoted to it. I have joined three in this area: Montgomery County Plein Air Artists, Frederick Plein Aire Painters, and The Plein Air Painters Meetup. We enjoy meeting and painting together.

A camera produces an evenly focused image, whereas our eyes focus on a specific area with the periphery muted. Also, a camera is limited in the range of color and light it can reproduce. Plein air paintings seem more alive to me than those done from a photograph. There is so much more inspiration in viewing the subject directly!

As artists, we add our own creativity to the reality we see. Our paintings are shaped by our individual perception of what is before our eyes. As the painting progresses, our imagination is inspired over and over by what we have created so far. The end result comes as an unanticipated surprise. Two artists contemplating the same scene produce an entirely different result. My motivation is to try to capture the beauty I find in ordinary subjects.

My paintings record local scenes and places of our day. Plein air painting is exciting! Each painting brings back memories for me of the day I spent painting it. I hope that my paintings reflect the feelings that inspired them.