Comments on: Change Things Up When Painting En Plein Air

By: Gail Sibley

Gail Sibley — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 18:37:08 +0000

Hi Lynn, thanks for your detailed comment and question! And I’m glad this post was so helpful!

Regarding the tree and your idea to change it. You are the artist and anything goes!! I loved the leaning tree and was very familiar with it so I wanted to leave it as is. I see what you mean about breaking through the roof. I had hoped that showing the trunk pretty clearly would negate that.

When on site, you are constantly making decisions. If the scene is sunlit, the decision making is sped up! Often in the moment, you can’t “see” what might become apparent later in the studio. When I go painting en plein air, I always like to think that the outcome isn’t as important as the doing and the experience. If I get a pleasing result, fantastic, but for me, that’s not the purpose of painting on location. I can always adjust or paint from my plein air piece back in the studio.

By: Gail Sibley

Gail Sibley — Fri, 04 Aug 2023 20:44:46 +0000

In reply to Hyrum Huskey. So glad to hear Hyrum!! AND, love your alternate title idea!!

By: Hyrum Huskey

Hyrum Huskey — Fri, 04 Aug 2023 04:50:01 +0000

I enjoyed your process here. You might consider Thatch and Shadows as a title for this painting.

By: Lynn Thompson

Lynn Thompson — Sun, 09 Jul 2023 17:11:02 +0000

Gail,
Lovely painting! I noticed that you left out a lot of details- the plant in front of the pink wall, the telephone pole, etc. and thus really acptured the essence of the scene. This is something I have struggle with in my limited plein air experience- how much detail to include.

I have a question- at first with the photo, a to a lesses extent with the painting, I thought that the tree and broken through the roof and there was a hole in the roof. I think if I painted it I would have been tempted to straighten the tree a little. Do you think that would be a bad idea? I can see why it is interesting as it is, but to me, straighteneing it would avoud the question of whether it is going through the roof, and the shadows would still be beautiful.

I also thought of a title about the tree- The Leaning Tree of Manzanilla.

Thanks for this VERY helpful post!

Lynn

By: Gail Sibley

Gail Sibley — Fri, 03 Aug 2018 02:29:52 +0000

In reply to Carol Lopez. Hi Carol, lovely to hear from you. And how cool my blog came up as you googled Puesta del Sol! Yes, it was done earlier this year. The structure is near the arroyo on Playa Blanca. If you know Trini, she used to live next door. Doris lives kitty-corner (I was standing in the shade of her house!). Hopefully see you next year :-)

By: Carol Lopez

Carol Lopez — Thu, 02 Aug 2018 14:38:21 +0000

Hi Gail! I googled Puesta del Sol to show my sister pictures of the hotel , and up came this beautiful page! What a great breakdown of how you do your painting. You might have done this one during the visit when I saw you at Concha’s. Beautiful work! I’ll look for this structure in November when I return to La Manz.

By: Gail Sibley

Gail Sibley — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 05:29:24 +0000

In reply to Curtis Eley. Thanks so much Curtis! I'm glad you got something out of this post. And others too! I'm really happy you commented this time :-)

By: Gail Sibley

Gail Sibley — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 05:28:28 +0000

In reply to Susan Bjerke. Glad this post might help with your own struggles with changing things up Susan. What does the painting need? And thanks for the title ideas :-)

By: Curtis Eley

Curtis Eley — Tue, 06 Mar 2018 05:38:35 +0000

Very informative….love watching your progress and the colors you use….and why you put something in or take something out. Although I don’t always respond, I get quite a lot out of your posts….and thank you…

By: Susan Bjerke

Susan Bjerke — Sun, 04 Mar 2018 04:46:24 +0000

Love the changes you made and the colorful pastel. That is exactly what I’m currently struggling with…changing it up from the native colors. I’ll keep trying things. Thanks! (Pretty in pink?
bonita en rosa?).