Wednesday, May 26, 2010

en plein air

Mitchell Fenton's En Plein Air series.
I was mesmerized at his colours and brushstrokes.
He's done numerous Rocky Mountain series but personally I like he California and Ontario ones the best.
The colours are simply mind blowing.



California En Plein Air Series, 8"x10", oil on panel

Ontario En Plein Air Series, 8"x10", oil on panel


Mitchell Fenton [link]
I paint en plein air with oils on small wood panels while traveling. My set-up is very portable enabling me to hike into many remote areas. Back in the studio, some panels are chosen and worked up into larger canvases. I work in many parts of Canada - the West Coast, the Prairies, Ontario and Eastern Canada, but mostly in the Canadian Rockies.

There is a strong tradition of landscape painting in Canada. When I first began painting the Canadian Landscape, I went to Lake O'Hara because of the many paintings I had seen from this area; work by John Singer Sargent, J.E.H. MacDonald, Lauren Harris - just to name a few. Lake O'Hara was spectacular; I have been back 7 times! Although there are many places in Canada I have yet to explore, I think I will be back to the Rockies many more times.

Our history is shaped by the land we live in. We are all connected to it.

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