Posts tagged as:

plein air painting

Late Fall Marsh | plein air painting on the edge of a wetland and the edge of a season

Late FallMarsh, 8x10 December 15, 2009

When I was a little kid, and I’d get out my Crayolas to draw some trees, I kept things simple.   A straight, brown column for a trunk and a tuft of green for the leaves.  Maybe a cloud or a  rainbow was added to ensure that I had used every color in the box, [...]

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Mississippi River Reflection | plein air painting on the colorful side of the river

Thumbnail image for Mississippi River Reflection | plein air painting on the colorful side of the river October 3, 2009

I have been doing a lot of painting set up on the banks of rivers in the last few months.  I have noticed in my own paintings that some days the colors reflected in the water are quite intense. More saturated.   Other days, the reflections are a bit more washed out.  Still beautiful. Still a [...]

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Mississippi River Rocks in Full Sun | plein air painting to last the whole winter

September 19, 2009

You know how you sometimes stop and think to yourself, “I’m going to have to remember this feeling?” I had one of those moments while I was out painting last Sunday.
I was down on the Saint Paul bank of the Mississippi River with my mother for another plein air painting outing.  The sky was blue [...]

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St. Croix River | outdoor painting just like the picture in the catalog.

St. Croix River, by Jeffrey Smith August 27, 2009

St. Croix River, 8×10″, oil on panel by Jeffrey Smith

 
When I was a kid, maybe around 15 years old  (not a little kid mind you,  but certainly younger than I am now),  I received a catalog of plein air painting gear.  One of the pictures in that catalog was of an outdoor painter set up with his [...]

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River Rocks | outdoor painting at the water’s edge.

River Rocks, plein air oil painting by Jeffrey Smith August 25, 2009

I know what you’re thinking, “Did he do a painting of a pile of rocks sticking out of the water?” And yes–yes, I did do a painting of a pile of rocks.  More specifically, a pile of rocks–maybe sandstone–in the St. Croix river.   If you  grab your atlas, or punch it in to Google Earth, [...]

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Mud Puddles | plein air painting after the rain

August 19, 2009

There is nothing better than a clear morning after a big rain storm.  I guess that’s not entirely true. I suppose there are better things, but a great morning is certainly right up there.

Last  Sunday I made my way back over to the Trial and Display Gardens on the grounds of the University of Minnesota.  [...]

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Hollyhocks and Corn Fields | plein air painting at the University of Minnesota

Hollyhocks and Crop Fields, 8x10 August 12, 2009

I got a call on Sunday morning from my mother asking if I was out plein air painting yet.  I was off to a late start, but I figured  she wasn’t at church either, so we were even.  Neither one of us was doing what we normally would do on a Sunday.  It turns out that [...]

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Birch Clump | Backyard plein air painting of birch trees

Thumbnail image for Birch Clump | Backyard plein air painting of birch trees May 23, 2009

Birch Clump
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What a beautiful day for plein air painting in Minnesota!   At 74 degrees a nice gentle breeze I don’t think you could ask for anything more.  Armed with this sunny disposition, I grabbed my pochade box and headed out side to paint.  I got in about 6 hours of painting time, and walked away [...]

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Last light

October 21, 2008

Last Light, 8×6

Please click here for purchase information on this painting.
Time for a little vacation from my regular life.  I’m up at Lake Superior, staying at BlueFin Bay in Tofte, MN.
This little painting was done in the last few minutes before the daylight was gone for the evening.  I really liked the colors on the [...]

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A Touch of Color

October 7, 2008

Please click here for purchase information on this painting.
The above is  a small oil sketch painted on the edge of a clearing.  I wanted to play a bit more with color on this one.  Some times I fell like my paintings can loose some of the color intensity and variety as I work.  Things tend to get [...]

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