The First Impression Counts

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The First Impression Counts

In our weekend workshop at Mt Shasta, we experience some of the most extraordinary places in America. Most of the locations that we paint are accessible by car. Participants who have never painted on location before find that plein air painting is very rewarding, and by working right from the car, they can focus completely on the task and begin painting from life. However, on the east side of Mt Shasta, deep in woods, there is a place that is so awesome, so breathtaking, and so grand, but the only way that you can see this sight is by hiking to it. The McCloud Middle falls are so beautiful that I was inspired to include a “hike and paint” in our itinerary for the workshop.

One key to painting on location is getting your first impression on your canvas as fast as you can. The effects and feelings change every moment, and a skilled painter must remember the scene that called the artist to want to paint it in the first place. Painting is a series of memory exercises, and the act of painting requires practicing this skill. Most artists lose the feeling of a painting because they spend most of their time chasing the light and changing what they are painting, moment by moment, as the light changes before them. When you find a subject that engages you, look at your subject and ask your self, “Why do I want to paint this?” Then, freeze that image in your mind and stay focused on the first impression you had of the subject.
Painting from life will help you develop somewhat of a photographic memory, and your memory will support your ability to create landscapes that are more convincing and captivating, both on-site and in the studio.

The Grand View Ranch will have a new web site this week; we will provide updated information about it as the week progresses.

I hope that we can build a community of artists that can share information with each other.

If you know of any artists that might appreciate being included, let them know about this blog.

I hope to offer more painting tips as this conversation continues.If you have questions that you would like me to answer, please don’t hesitate to email me anytime.

I welcome your feedback. Stefan_Baumann@yahoo.com