Wednesday, March 29, 2017

The Plein Air Force Houston

Houston artists

If you have heard me talk about the lack of unique character in suburban Houston, you have probably also heard me say that a painting can be found anywhere. This is just around the corner from Robin's street, a wide greenway lined with a row of evergreens. I have sketched here before as it is an outside street of a planned neighborhood and a good place to practice perspective; trees, houses, powerlines, parked cars, and the street all converge at a single distant point.

After a neighborhood walk the afternoon light was right and I brought my half French easel out to the shady corner, followed soon by Ian and Amelia with paper, lap desks, drawing supplies and their FURNITURE for comfort. It is humbling to be reminded that kids have no limits, no worries about appearance or rules, they just get involved. Hearing the chairs drag down the sidewalk, seeing them scramble to hold their artist odds and ends and grinning and eager to work with Grammy, I wish I had that picture. We all worked in the quiet, greeting occasional neighbors checking us out, dog walkers,  and cars slowing.

Amelia painted with her set of new brush markers and left sky holes in the trees and light marks on the tree trunks. It wasn't because I did this, it was because she was looking at what was in front of her. A lesson well learned. She wasn't sure what to draw and I said "just do whatever you are looking at."   
One of my very best days.

The Trees Across the Street, brush markers  9x12 c. Amelia

Across the Street @10x12 oil on Arches paper 
I titled this post Plein Air Force because there is a movement of that name to get everyone involved, to get people out, to try drawing and painting from life.

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