Fine Art Tips, Business and Social Media Advice
Painting pretty pictures in the great out-of-doors is not just another walk-in-the-park. In fact, plein air painting is tough work. It takes us from the controlled environment of our studio and into the unpredictable environment of Mother Nature. Outdoor painting with a pochade box is a wonderful experience, but believe it or not, there are some hazards the artist should be aware of and prepared for when painting outside. The most effective … [Read more...]
Last week I was invited to go out 'plein air painting' with an exclusive group of talented painters from northern Utah. Plein air painting is the French word for painting outside. The informal group set up their various pochade boxes and braved the rains last Wednesday. The other artists besides me were Shanna Kunz, G. Russell Case, George Hanrahan, Gregory Stocks, brothers - Seth & Simon Winegar, Jon Johnson, Mark Willar … [Read more...]
Provence, France has fascinated landscape painters for ages. Artists have been painting in Provence since prehistoric times. Paintings of bison, seals, penguins and horses dating to between 27,000 and 19,000 b.c. were found in the Cosquer Cave near Marseilles. From the 1300's up through the 1700's, Provincial rich art history consisted of biblical art, fantastic animals and scenes of daily life. My daughter and I saw many of these … [Read more...]
Awww...Paris. Rich in history dating back more than two millenia, Paris has attractions sufficient to last a lifetime. But for me - the deep blue of a Provincial sky, the aroma of fresh baked bread and lavender fields floating on warm breezes beckoned me into the French countryside. My daughter and I were fortunate enough to organize a painting trip with a wonderful group of ladies. After many years of studying the French … [Read more...]
No Parisian art experience would be complete without a visit to the Musee d'Orsay, and the Musee de l'Orangerie to visit the French Impressionists. Both museums house the many precious works of the French Impressionists we all love. After a day at the Louvre these smaller museums seem quite manageable. (natural light filters through the glass ceilings above my daughter) On the left-bank of the Seine, the Musee d'Orsay was once the old … [Read more...]
One of the major highlights of My Tour de France was our fast and furious 5 hours at the beautiful Musee du Louvre in Paris, aka the Louvre Museum. With 652,300 square feet of exhibition space, 5 floors and 17 wings, the Grand Louvre is one of the most famous museums in the world. In 2008, more than 8.5 million visitors flocked to this number one ranked museum. The Louvre contains over 380,000 objects and displays 35,000 works of art. It … [Read more...]
During my recent painting trip to France, I was surprised to see so much urban graffiti throughout Paris and the countryside of Provence. At first I was upset by this, then strangely enough I began to enjoy looking at it. I noticed that many of the graffiti 'artists' were quite talented had sense of respect for where they painted. That might sound like an oxymoron, but most of the 'art' was relegated to abandoned buildings or alongside … [Read more...]
What a whirlwind trip! My Tour de France was filled with art museums, plein air painting, touring villages & castles and of course - fresh baked baguettes & croissants with cheese! We went from Paris to Provence and back again. So, before I begin to write about all the art, I wanted to share some of my French musings. Our 'tour de France' began in Paris! My daughter and I arrived to a wet mid-morning after a direct flight … [Read more...]
POCHADE BOXES are a compact, portable painting studio in a box which work especially well for the landscape artist. I made this one myself and I will show you how. But first a bit of pochade box history… The word, “pochade” is French which means a quick color sketch.Originally, the painters from the 18th and 19th century had to lug big heavy French easels into the field.Pochade boxes have made painting out-of-doors or ‘en plein air’ … [Read more...]
Traveling with painting equipment is always a challenge, but the reality is beginning to hit me…this weekend I will be hopping on a plane and flying to Provence, France where I am teaching my plein air painting workshop! We have been planning this trip for 6 months and it is finally here. I am excited to go, but now I have to PACK! And I am asking myself, “What should I bring?” Since 911 flying isn’t as simple as it once was. This has … [Read more...]
Lori McNee is a professional artist who specializes in still life, and landscape oil paintings. She is an exhibiting member of Oil Painters of America, Plein Air Painters of Idaho, serves on the Plein Air Mag Board of Advisors, and is an Ambassador Artist to Royal Talens. As the owner of FineArtTips.com, Lori blogs about fine art tips, marketing … Click HERE to read more.
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