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| Bill Sawczuk |
First of all, what must be considered when undertaking this most noble of artistic endeavors? Get a job so that you can buy art supplies just in case sales aren't as forthcoming as you would hope after a hard week of painting. After all, how long should it take to produce marketable art?
Now that you have a few supplies that you will need: paint, brushes, canvases and boards, portable easel, solvents or other mediums, rags, paper towels, trash bags, stool, sketch pad, bear spray, mosquito repellant , large brimmed hat and possibly a shade umbrella, you will be ready to paint.
Where to start?
First,
find a scene that is calling to you to be painted. There it is; a
beautiful mountain vista! Let's start! First we'll set up the " easy
to use portable easel. " Now, how does this thing work? You unfasten the
right leg and set it on the ground. Wait, that's not right......it's
too short! You forgot to loosen the thumb screw and slide out the leg
extension. While you're sliding out the leg extension you wish that you
had an arm extension to go along with that leg extension. Fine, now
you have one leg on the ground. Now you do the same thing with the left
leg and the rear leg all with one arm as you're holding the easel with
the other. |
| Where the plein air magic happens. |
Good,
all three legs are on the ground and you're ready to start. Not just
yet. You have to level the easel. Remember those thumbscrews? You
loosen them (one at a time) and slide the legs in or out to adjust their
length until the easel is level. You will get the hang of it after 5 or
6 times.
Remove
the palette from the paintbox and set it on the pullout paint tray. If
you haven't already done this, you must put out dabs of paint on the
palette in some sort of logical arrangement; by color temperature,
value, hue or whatever looks good to you. Good! Now get out your solvent
and medium and put it on the tray, or clip it to the palette so that it
will be handy as you start to paint. Not just yet. Get out your bear
spray and fasten it to your belt or wherever you can to keep it handy (I
hope that you have already practiced with the spray so that you don't
spray yourself in the face in the unlikely event that you should need
it.... the bear spray, not a spray in the face!). Now get the bug spray
and coat yourself with it and you will cut the bug distraction by 50% .
I don't know what to tell you about the other 50%.
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Three extended easel legs - check. Big rock and bungee - check. Wait...Bill! Your canvas is backwards!!
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Now
you're ready. Choose the size of canvas or board that you wish to work
with and fasten it to the easel with those little L shaped hooks that
loosen with a simple twist of a knurled knob. If you twist too hard,
you'll knurl your fingers. I usually tie a trash bag to the easel and
weigh it down with a rock (not with a Grand Teton National Park rock!)
that you have brought along for that specific purpose or you will be
chasing painty paper towels through the sagebrush. Now it's time to
start! Wait, do you detect the wind kicking up? This is not good. The
wind causes problems that we wish to avoid such as vibrations in the
canvas and flying dust and debris. If the wind continues to strengthen
(between noon and 3 PM) it may even do the unthinkable and blow over the
easel, resulting in trauma to the easel and extreme frustration on your
part. Painters have been known to lose their tempers and use bad words
at this point. But don't do it! Calmly pick up your
easel, clean your canvas or board, reattach it to the easel, and try to
clean up any paint or solvents that may have stained the ground. I
should have mentioned earlier that your solvents or mediums should be
covered until you are actually ready to paint! Now is the time to
prevent the easel from blowing over again. Weigh it down with a rock and
use ropes or bungee cords to tie it to a tree, your vehicle or a
fence. Watch out with those bungee cords as they might snap back and
hit you in the face and you will want to use those bad words again. But don't do it.
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| © Bill Sawczuk. |
Now you're ready. First, you should get out your sketch pad. It is wise to do a few sketches of your subject so that you can determine your
composition. The mountains will be a great subject today, just look at
that color! Look at the clouds above the mountains! Wait, what about
those old cabins? They would
be great to paint! Now you see some buffalo nearby, and they would be
good subjects. What about painting those aspen in their beautiful fall
foliage? You must make crucial decisions here because you can't paint
it all . Pick what you like the best and start your sketches. You
should be ready to go after 3-4 sketches. Now comes that great feeling.
You get to make the first marks on that empty white surface........Here
goes! Wait, is it getting dark? Forget the whole thing. Pack it up
and go home.
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| Kathryn takes Bill's advice to heart. |
From the paintbrush trail,
Bill Sawczuk