The Making of a Plein-Air Painting

I've participated in this event all three years it's been held, and I've wanted to find a painting site that would allow me to look out over this rich horticultural valley floor. I found this view from Murray Family Farms, a wonderful "farm stand" and tourist stop just before you head out of the valley and up into the mountains. I always find it exciting to see snow on the peaks above when the temperatures down in the valley are warm and comfortable.

The Making of a Plein-Air Painting

On Thursday of the Kern County Plein Air event, we were given special entree to the sprawling and spectacular Tejon Ranch near Bakersfield, CA. All artists wanting to paint here had to meet at the gate at 7:30 a.m. and be led in. We could paint anything that caught our attention. The last two years there was no water in this creek during the festival, so this scene called to me, as the perfect lead-in to the green, grass-covered mountains above. Before leaving for the trip, I'd ordered some of the largest plein-air frames I've used, 12 x 24, knowing that the countryside would be compelling after all the rains we'd had this winter.

Looking to the Future

Now we jump from Los Angeles to New York, where I'm pleased to have another painting, Crane Canyon Wandering, included in the 84th Annual Juried Exhibition of the Hudson Valley Art Association. The show runs from April 30th to May 5th at the prestigious Salmagundi Club in New York. For more information, visit hudsonart.org.

And finally, I'd like to mention that back here at the straw bale studio in Cotati, I'll be teaching more one-day workshops in the months ahead. I'll be demonstrating how to paint landscapes from photos in my studio workshop on May 3, and then I'll be taking a group of artists outside to learn to paint on location on May 17. A complete list of my workshops is available on my website, cgmitchell.com, including workshops in Morro Bay, Redwood City, and Fresno later in the year. Please join me if you can, and feel free to forward this e-newsletter to anyone you think might be interested in my artwork or my workshops. Thanks!