Blackstone Valley Plein Air Competition and Festival

Curtacy of Glenn Bassett 

This Weekend I participated in the 2 annual Blackstone Valley Plein Air Competition. The Blackstone Valley is set in a beautiful landscape setting of farms, rivers and 19 century mills.

I was among 34 artist's juried in by Tom Saupe, director of community outreach for alternatives. 

Yesterday was the" quick- draw ", of the competition. Paintings where done at a farm in Sutton Mass, and had to be completed in three hours.

The paintings that were produced over the weekend were  Judged by T. M. Nicholas. Next weekend will be the auction of the paintings. The auction will begin at 5:30 on October 5, in the Singh Performance Center.  Alternatives' Whitin Mill, 50 Douglas Road in Whitinsville. 

Curtasy T&G Staff/RICK CINCLAIR

The Blackstone Valley Plein Air Competition was my first competition. It was a great experience  to get out of my comfort zone and paint with  accomplished plein air artist's. The event was well managed and the staff at Alternatives was warm and helpful.

I did six paintings. I felt my last painting was the best. It seemed to take a bit to warm up and paint in a different environment than the cape.

I didn't win anything but the experience of having to produce work and finish was challenging. I think these types of events are helpful in pulling  you up to the next level in your work. The friendly sportsman ship attitude of the other artist's was also a rewarding experience.

There is much to be gained in looking at so many artist's approaches to the same challenges, plein air painting presents.

curtsy of T&G Staff/RICK CINCLAIR

Cape School Last Workshop

This past week was my last workshop of the season. It was an amazing experience for me because I think I learned so much from teaching and rethinking some of my previous methods of teaching color.

The Week was packed with surprises including an interview with Moe Rocca, CBS Sunday Morning News.

The students where agreeable to be filmed. I did a short demo at the Moors and then talked with Moe.
It will be great if the interview airs . I will be more nervous to see it then giving the interview.

I did several demo's to explain light and shade, and light key.

I sort of went a little over the top and created this very Disney painting to bring across the point not only does a sunny day have the contrast between light and shade it is all about temperature.

I did a demo at the Moors because it's just so darn beautiful on a cloudy day. Even with cloud coverage there are warm colors working as well as cool. 

The camera crew went crazy when they saw all the expressive clouds coming in at the Moors.

We ended the workshop at the Truro Vineyards were we where treated to lunch by the owner Dave who took the workshop as well.

I realize that teaching artist's to see color is an involved process and takes time to learn. Combined with pure landscape principles seeing color is very specific. I learned a great deal this summer from teaching, and am challenged to pass on more simple direct principles the next coming year.

Figures in the Painting

This week I have been doing a series of painting figures on the beach. Adding figures in paintings is a challenge. People move quickly but they can be treated the same way we treat landscape elements.

I started this painting treating the figures and boats as big silhouettes. Painting the negative space first helps to set up the action of the figure, and their placement.

I then fill in the water, beach and sky around the figures and boats.

It's just a matter of developing the painting from those simple elements, once you have the structure down.