The Old Plein Air
In a recent post I was talking about the camel painting I made in the 2018 plein air competition at the Erie County Fair. This fun and engaging event takes place every year. Some time ago I wrote another article on what it was like participating in the same competition back in 2016. Weather was quite different then (featuring multiple downpours), as was my medium (water mixable oils). You might imagine some of the challenges presented by that combo.
Due to there being a considerable time frame before having photos of the finished painting, this is my first time posting the results of that 2016 competition. After much travail, and many forced breaks running for shelter, I was happy to have pulled off an impressionistic oil painting which was awarded first place in the contest. I recall there were some other very creative approaches by other artists as well that year, using media such as cut paper for example.
I’ve only done this event twice so far, and the conditions couldn’t have been more different. Both times it was a rewarding experience. That’s the nature of plein air painting (which means “in the open air”). You never know what mother nature might throw at you. Or, if you do know what to expect, you’ve gotta decide – is it worth it?
For me it was indeed worth it in both these competitions. I love nature, and love painting animals. Getting to do this in the man-made setting of a large county fair is a unique experience. And I’ve found the pressure of having a short time frame to complete the works to be exhilarating.