Final verdict on finishing plein air works in the studio...

[Susan F. Greaves]

I've been searching the site and the discussion boards and cannot find the definitive answer. Are we allowed to post images on this site of paintings that were painted on location but "finished" in the studio? Does a "plein air painting" become a "studio painting" if corrections are made in the studio?  I'm happy to conform and see the notice on the home page, but remember a discussion soon after the site started that centered on this issue.

[Armand Cabrera]

Its Don's site and he can run it anyway he wants. So only he can answer that question as it pertains to this venue.

In my opinion not finishing a painting outside and finishing it in the studio from memory or photos makes it a studio painting. Thats why they are called plein air paintings. Plein air means painted in the open air from life. Plein air paintings can be finshed outdoors over multiple days or in one sitting alla prima.

[Susan F. Greaves]

Thanks for the opinion, Armand. I'm torn between wanting to paint it perfectly the first time and not wanting to leave errors I see later. It Don or someone else doesn't give me a definitive answer in the next couple of days, I'll contact Don directly.

Armand Cabrera said:

Its Don's site and he can run it anyway he wants. So only he can answer that question as it pertains to this venue.

In my opinion not finishing a painting outside and finishing it in the studio from memory or photos makes it a studio painting. Thats why they are called plein air paintings. Plein air means painted in the open air from life. Plein air paintings can be finshed outdoors over multiple days or in one sitting alla prima.

[Armand Cabrera]

Albert,
First the impressionist weren't the first artists to paint outside and they did not focus on painting only from nature like the barbizon painters or the Macchiaioli who preceded them. It is well documented that artists like Degas painted from photos. They also would have never claimed to paint something only from life because that wasn't their goal as painters. If you want to paint outside then gain the skill to do it. If you don't have the skill why fake it? You never hear people claiming their outdoor paintings were painted in the studio because painting from life takes more skill than painting in a studio. So people make the outdoor claim to assign a greater skill to themselves than they actually have. Redfield, Metcalf, and a host of contemporary professional painters do because that is their goal as painters.

[Armand Cabrera]

Albert,
Your facts are a little off. Constable and Richard Parkes Bonnington were painting outdoors in the 1820's. Tube paint was invented by John Rand in England in the early 1840's, 30 years before the impressionists ever had a show; most were a year old. The Barbizon and Macchiaioli were first to make it their modus operandi, that's where the impressionists got the idea from. You know; Boudin, Corot and others got Monet interested in painting outside because they were doing it for years. Their ideas on color came from physics, not observation, no one in their right mind sees colors broken up into primary hues that combine optically. It was based in part on Michel Chevreul and later Ogden Rood who was an amateur painter himself.

None of this changes the fact its Don's site and so he can run it anyway he wants,

[Armand Cabrera]

Carie,
Some people think painting from life indoors is plein air, it isn't. Painting in your studio or elsewhere under controlled lighting isn't painting outdoors, Just more people trying to jump on the band wagon without the ability. I think Don is still traveling but even if he isn't. It is his site so he can do what he wants.

[Susan F. Greaves]

"Some people think painting from life indoors is plein air, it isn't."

That would be a distinction that could be made between painting from DIRECT OBSERVATION and otherwise. I was just asking about this site and whether paintings touched up or finished in the studio, after the bulk of the work is done on site, are to be included.

[Jaqueline Lukowski]

Plein Air is just that - work done in the open air. About half of my paintings have adjustments that I made in the studio. Those paintings will never be posted on this site.

[Hank Buffington]

I almost never touch my plein airs once I'm home. They all have errors-- horrible errors in some cases. Making decisions to fix those errors, to me, are decisions best left for a separate studio painting and not revisions to the plein air.

I like the errors of my plein airs. I think they contribute to their appeal. If my intention was to make a finished plein air painting or a more accurate painting without flaws I might try to revisit the location multiple times, but that isn't why I paint plein air. Leaving the flaws reminds me what to do (or not do) the next time I'm out painting plein air. Glaring errors in drawing or perspective or value of some of my favorites remind me constantly to pay closer attention next time. They are lessons learned.

The more I do this the more I'm bothered by seeing work labelled "plein air" when it's doubtful that it is.

[Susan F. Greaves]

Hank,

Your rationale is unimpeachable, especially if the artist is seeking knowledge as a "true amateur". We all should have that as our top priority. However, I'm not sure I'd ever post any of my works.

Susan G.

[Donald Maier]

I think we must all answer this question for ourselves. It really is as simple as that. As there are no real ways for me to control the work that is uploaded, and I only question the most blatant violations, such as dogs posing or running, we are all on the honor system here. It has been a policy of several national plein air events that 80% to 90% must be done on site. Does this mean a photo can be used for reference to complete the painting, or do you need to work from simply memory? I don't know what the rule is on that. Again, if you think it is cheating, it probably is cheating. I do not want the job of art police here, but I will and do remove work that is obviously not plein air. But you must determine what is or is not appropriate to post.

Recently, I began scraping with an exacto knife, my watercolor paper, usually on site, but often after returning home and critically evaluating my work. I rarely had ever done that before, thinking I was a purist. But Homer did it and most everyone else, that and using opaque white. I always felt like I was cheating using white paint. So we draw our own lines for where we finish a painting. One thing I do know, it is usually better to stop early than to over work a painting. Going to far is so easy to do and in the studio it is even easier.

I hope I cleared the waters a bit, but I fear not. In fact I am sure they are as muddy as ever.

[Gary Hilton Walker]

One could easily argue that plein air painting (exclusively painted outdoors from nature, nothing in the studio or from photos or other means) is pivotal, - constitutes the most important pre-requisite to great realist/impressionist painting, particularly the landscape genre. I am sure that’s why Don instigated our plein air painting site, to improve and inspire each other in our love of plein air painting. But note we can still write about and share the importance and differences of plein air painting and other painting / means to reinforce the distinction between it and other genres.

The problem comes from limiting any artists painting development to ONLY or MOSTLY plein-air painting, exclusively outdoors. No painter, even the masters would dare argue that exclusively painting outdoors which constitutes great plein air painting ALSO constitutes ALL great art. Of course we know that besides the valuable painting from nature; studio, abstract composition, memory, photos even means and techniques yet to be discovered contribute to good composition etc for great art.

That is the distinction – obviously we all may pursue different creative means at deriving the picture, even partake different genres of art, but we should be aware of the importance of plein air painting in generating great realist / impressionist painting; That in which our site here is devoted to ;)

[K Coralee Burch]

Donald Maier said:

I think we must all answer this question for ourselves. It really is as simple as that. As there are no real ways for me to control the work that is uploaded, and I only question the most blatant violations, such as dogs posing or running, we are all on the honor system here. It has been a policy of several national plein air events that 80% to 90% must be done on site. Does this mean a photo can be used for reference to complete the painting, or do you need to work from simply memory? I don't know what the rule is on that. Again, if you think it is cheating, it probably is cheating. I do not want the job of art police here, but I will and do remove work that is obviously not plein air. But you must determine what is or is not appropriate to post.

Recently, I began scraping with an exacto knife, my watercolor paper, usually on site, but often after returning home and critically evaluating my work. I rarely had ever done that before, thinking I was a purist. But Homer did it and most everyone else, that and using opaque white. I always felt like I was cheating using white paint. So we draw our own lines for where we finish a painting. One thing I do know, it is usually better to stop early than to over work a painting. Going to far is so easy to do and in the studio it is even easier.

I hope I cleared the waters a bit, but I fear not. In fact I am sure they are as muddy as ever.