Monday, November 12, 2012

Paintings need the great outdoors too.

Just a bunch of new works in progress laying around in the backyard this morning, and as much of a big dufus as he is, our dog is always very careful not to step on the paintings. Even when they're laying around in the garage drying, he's always very mindful of their presence. There's always something interesting about seeing your work in different settings, whether it's in a gallery, public space or what have you, but there's also something very interesting specifically about seeing them outside. I'm not talking about the glow from tremendous sunlight, but something else about the outdoor environment, the air, the trees, etc. that puts them in another context altogether. 


As painters, many of us are creating worlds on the surface that are derived, consciously, or unconsciously from the inner recesses of our minds, which through millions of years of evolution probably doesn't have much to do with the boxes (living spaces with walls) we inhabit as modern humans. As an abstract painter I've never really done much plein air painting, although I do know abstract artists who love to work outside, just because they like to work outside, even though they are not deriving images directly from the landscape. Hmmm, perhaps I need to revisit this idea for myself.

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