Umpqua Plein Air
Painting in My Hometown
Fish jumped out of the water. The sun beat down but the river and umbrella kept me cool enough. I waited all summer for this week to paint back in my hometown for the Umpqua Plein Air event. Surrounded by nature, family and painting. It was a joy.
It’s the first year my husband was able to join, we buzzed around from Glide to Sutherlin looking for the next scene to paint. This was also the first time I used multiple days at the same spot to develop my paintings. The light changes so rapidly at sunset, so returning for a second night to paint the fleeting light at Ford’s Pond was useful.
Plein air painting is a challenge, you can’t predict the weather, wind or distractions. Plein air painting competitively adds another layer of mental challenges as you decide how big to paint, where to paint, how much time to spend on a piece or if it’s good enough to submit. It’s all worth it though, to be in these places and paint from life.
While up the North Umpqua River it was such a contrast to see the burnt trees, from a wildfire years before, with the energetic river. A much different view from my childhood where the trees were lush and green this time of year. But it reminded me how part of plein air painting is capturing a moment in time.
Demo with Juror Yong-Hong Zhong
Our week capped off with a demo by Yong-Hong Zhong, watching him paint with watercolor was exhilarating. As he mixed colors on his palette the water splashed about, he paused for a moment above the paper and then dashed his stroke with confidence. “Let the viewer finish the painting, they come with their own set of experiences”, he said, “think of the story you want to tell, but don’t spoon feed the audience with every detail.”
The Exhibit
The reception was lovely! It was a joy to celebrate the week of art-making with fellow plein air painters. Two of my pieces made it into the top 40 awards of distinction and “Hillside at Sunset” received the M. Graham Award! If you’re in the Roseburg area between now and October 28th, I highly recommend stopping by.
Umpqua Valley Arts Association | 1624 W Harvard Ave, Roseburg, OR 97471 | Open Tuesday - Friday: 10am - 6pm
