Word of the Day - Plein Air

Evening in the Park

Oil on Canvas 9 x 12

I packed supper into a bag, some wine into a thermos and we headed out to Barnet Marine Park again on Friday evening. Most importantly I took my new pochade box. After a quick supper, I scouted out a painting spot and got started. Several curious onlookers stopped by. I didn't mind as long as they did not stop for too long - I had to keep painting as the light was changing fast.

This painting took me about 4 hours - 2 hours in the park, another hour in Picard's studio where I benefited from exactly the tips I needed and then an hour dabbing on the leaves. This is the first of many plein air paintings that I hope to do this summer. 

En plein air is a French expression which means "in the open air", and is particularly used to describe the act of painting outdoors.  Thanks to Wikipedia for that definition.