Plein Air Competition
I realize this is a bit late-breaking as news goes, but it might be interesting to hear a little about this year’s Erie County Fair Plein Air Painting Contest which took place this past August in Hamburg, NY. That doesn’t seem like very long ago, but here we are already looking at Halloween! Ok, fair enough. And speaking of “fair,” this year’s contest was a blast, just like it was when I participated a couple years ago. This year, however, we were spared the massive rainstorms. Yeah, I’ll take clear skies – no prob. This year, we were graced with beautiful sunny skies and a perfect day.
The order of business for me was camels. Love ’em! In fact, the petting zoo has long been a favorite stop of mine when going to the county fair. So, sitting in the zoo area, between the scythe-horned oryx and the donkeys, staring out at the camel ride and painting these charming creatures was a joy from start to finish.
We only had six hours from the starting bell to turn in our paintings. If I’m gauging correctly, my piece took a little under five hours to complete. Ya gotta paint fast out there! I started by sketching my composition in blue, so the lines could be easily absorbed into the blue background as the rendering progressed. It was very helpful to visit the fair a few days in advance and pick out the spot where I wanted to work. Doing so also got my mental gears turning for the composition I was planning. Of course, no photos or sketches were allowed in advance of the competition’s start. And I wasn’t taking any photos during the competition either. All I had for reference was what I saw in real life. So, one of the challenges was rendering the moving camels in positions that satisfied my aesthetic objectives. Happily though, these dromedaries were always in view, either giving rides to people or resting nearby where I could study their features.
One of the great things about art is the connection it forms with the viewers. I’ve been delighted by the unsolicited comments I’ve received from so many people I’ve been bumping into, since the fair ended, about how much they enjoyed the camel painting. I like that there’s a sense of humor in it. It’s fairly infrequent, in the fine art world at least, that humor becomes a prime element in a painting. We can turn to one of my favorites, The Marvelous Sauce, by Jehan Georges Vibert for that. Or, if we must, there’s always Coolidge’s card-playing dogs. In the case of the camels, their expressions, spacial juxtaposition, and accompaniment by a nearby sign declaring, “Rabbits & Poultry,” set up a delightful air of silliness and fun to the whole scene. I’m glad to know it touched the hearts of visitors to the art exhibit that ensued.
The painting was awarded second place in the competition. It’s hard to believe this event took place back on August 11th. Time has flown, and the fond memories are still near in my mind, though I’ve since been heavily involved in other projects. The speed and spontaneity of the brushstrokes in this painting are a testament to the setting in which it was created during those short five hours on a lovely summer’s day.