Blog

For the last couple months, I've been plein air painting with the Men in Hats group of men and women.  The group has been around for many years and meet every monday or tuesday depending on the weather, at a different location somewhere around Vancouver BC. Could be any where on the lower mainland.  

It's great to paint outdoors for about 4 hours every week with like minded people, there to have some fun, talk, discuss things etc but mainly to paint. I think the time spent surveying the new location and deciding what it is I want to paint and then setting up my easel and blank canvas is all very exciting.  Then I look at the blank and start making marks.   I have been watching the pros get set up and get started so I'm getting a little better at it now.   My main objective is to come home with a painting that resembles the spot I picked and is maybe even recognizable.  Sometimes I have to touch up or finish off the painting at home.  Sometimes I have to correct it and actually do some more work but in the end, it is my plein air painting and my wife generally likes them.

I have an older french box easel which is very heavy but it does the trick as long as I can arrive by car to my location.  I also have a backpack with all the extra things I think I might need and a folding chair for comfort when I sit down.  I try to stand to paint though, as I have learned from others that it gives a much better perspective of the scene I'm painting.    Some of the plein airists can travel very lightly with a pochade box and easel which has everything they need plus a chair and lunch of course. they can travel light and often they'll take this gear travelling around the world.

I've set up a gallery on my website   rodwinning.com  called  Men In Hats and have 10 paintings there already. hope you like them.  I've shown Venables at Lakewood  Vancouver BC  above.