Tuesday, 24 May 2016

Masterclass

http://niagaragalleries.com.au/artist/euan-macleod


 Portsea, acrylic on canvas paper 21x30cm

 Queenscliff, acrylic on canvas paper 21x30cm
Queenscliff, acrylic on canvas paper 15x21cm

I am wondering how many adjectives I can use to describe the en plein air master class with Euan Macleod at Police Point last Tuesday.  Inspirational, broadening, beneficial, constructive, uplifting.  Unlike a previous en plein air workshop that I had attended through the Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, that left me feeling lousy and debilitated, Euan actually liked my work and encouraged me to continue.

In the past two months I had set myself a number of goals to experiment with, the first being time.  I have been attempting, since February, to paint more immediately.  My tendency, I believe, is to over paint an image to the point where it looses the lovely fresh, spontaneous marks of paint on canvas that is achieved in the first few minuets of a painting.  The second was to try painting on different coloured grounds, rather than white to see what happened to colour and light.

With these things in mind I set out for Police Point with a purpose and questions.  Fortunately I met Euan at the opening of 'Country and Western, the landscape re-imagined'.  This was helpful because it broke that awful barrier of awe, which creates a sense of unworthiness on the admirers part.  I spoke to him about the masterclass and he told me to bring some other work with me.

Arriving at Police Point, I had a confidence and sense of purpose that usually alludes me on these type of occasions.  As a result I was able to talk to Euan about my work and received some encouraging feedback.  I brought with me some of the small plein air paintings I had completed in Sorrento while my daughter learned to sail.  I explained that I was concerned about the amount of time I was spending on these paintings and showed him a few that were done in fifteen minuets.  He told me the longer paintings were as good as the quick ones and not to be concerned about the time spent on them, rather try to make a painting that works.  He also thought scale was not an issue.  Most of my plein air paintings are quite small, I usually sit and paint them in my lap.  He told me to do what feels right, to experiment and enjoy the process, which I do.  

Then we discussed the grounds.  He told me he usually cleans his oil brushes on a clean canvas, rather than trying to wash it, resulting in a grey ground on which to start.  I have experimented with several colours and read about the appropriate ground colours for the various landscapes.  From experience and observation I have found that using a lighter yellow brings a peninsula autumn to life.

Euan also observed, which I had never really considered before, that all of my horizon lines are centre in my work.  It actually made me laugh when I looked at all of my work.  "It's what I do, I am not even conscious of it, I start by dividing a canvas in two and painting a sky and a ground."  He suggested mixing this up a little and then added, "Maybe you don't need too".

The final thing we discussed was my skies.  I have spent the majority of my plein air life painting water, the sky is usually something of an after thought and something I have not given much time or thought to.  I usually throw down a bit of blue and a bit of white and whalla...sky!  Then I stumbled across Amanda Penrose Hart.  Oh my goodness, sky!  Amanda paints moody, gutsy, atmospheric skies that dominate the landscape.  They are thick and rich and edible. 

That twenty minuet conversation with Euan created in me a desire to paint and paint and paint, something that had alluded me for so long.  From this conversation I made a decision to listen to my intuition, to play and experiment and have fun and not worry.  I have some boards I am preparing to take outside and paint, possibly in oil.  Everyday I go outside now I am observing the sky, its colours and shapes.  I paint it in my mind, and then I observe the colours and shapes of the land and how they contrast against the enormity of the sky.

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