Curacao: Painting the Island Way

Plein Air Curacao, February 27 - March 7, 2015

I was looking forward to painting in Plein Air Curacao’ with excitement and, admittedly,  some trepidation. 
It’s always a lot of work packing for a big painting event, but when you’re traveling out of the country, there are even more complications.  

My frames were the greatest concern.  I needed to pack my frames tightly and box them so that I could transport them either on board the plane or in my suitcase with everything arriving unscathed.  I spent a fair amount of time packing and re- packing, taping everything tightly with bubble wrap.
My next concern was supplies.  I didn’t think I’d have access to art supplies in Curacao’, especially since I wouldn’t have a car.  I gathered my watercolor paper, trimming it to the size of the frames; I pulled together a chair small enough to fit in my luggage and my new easel, the “en plein air pro.”  This will be the new easel’s first use in the field.  Paints were placed into zip lock baggies, along with brushes, paper towels and my collapsible water container.  I checked my lists over and over again to be sure I had everything necessary to paint.

Clothing is truly important.  It has to be comfortable; it has to be durable; it has to protect me from the sun and the mosquitoes.  I’ll be walking for miles with my backpack, so I always take comfortable shoes, too.
Once I arrived in Curacao’, I was so relieved.  My airport transport was waiting for me as I exited the airport.  The staff and organizers of Plein Air Curacao’ were warm and helpful!  The city of Willemstaad was beautiful:  the colorful 18^th century Dutch Colonial buildings that lined the inlet were just lovely.  As soon as I discovered the landscape, I could hardly wait to paint.
Our first evening featured a reception for the artists from Surinam.  Their exhibit was lovely and the people enchanting.  Each day after that was filled with travel around the island, receptions, lots of painting and robust sales.

I couldn’t be happier.

As for my “en plein air pro” easel:   it performed like a champ.  It can withstand the stiff island winds, as long as it’s weighted with my backpack.  I especially like how the top of the easel moves around from upright to flat so that I can paint my watercolors in any manner needed.  My favorite thing about this easel is how lightweight it is, fitting easily into it’s own backpack, and with room enough for paper, small palette, collapsible water container, and even my water and snacks for the day. There’s still more plein air painting to come during this year, and only time will tell how durable the easel will be.

Milan and Lake Garda, Italy and Inspiration in General

Inspiration.  Where does it come from?

For me, travel is one of the keys to inspiration, which then leads me to creative thinking, and ending, hopefully, with an excellent painting.

Scenes of Gargnano, Italy along Lake Garda

I love teaching workshops in locations foreign to me.  It's tremendous fun to see new sights and be inspired.  Some sights compel me to paint them immediately...perhaps because of the lighting or the smells or some sort of interaction I'm experiencing at the time.  Other sights want to be photographed... in many ways.  I can spend quite a large amount of time walking around a location, taking hundreds of different photos from different angles.  In fact, one of my favorite methods for taking pictures now is to hold my camera in front of me, constantly change my angles, and shoot away.  I can often be surprised by the beauty of these random photographs.

I was able to sneak in a tour of Berlin after the workshop this year, and I took many photos of the Reichhstaag, which is one of my favorite buildings in the world.

The very nature of the building and the many reflective surfaces lend itself to painting.....I love the natural abstraction of the angles.  Whenever discussing design in class, I advise students to "make it irregular, make it oblique and make it unpredictable."  This building exemplifies some of those major adages of good design.

 As enjoyable as it is to BE inspired, it's just as energizing to me to observe students in the midst of enjoying bursts of creativity.  I must say, my students who took the Il' Chiostro Watercolor Workshop with me during early October of 2013 made great strides forward in technique.  I like to think it was the teaching; I'm just as sure it was the inspiration of the location.  So, get thee to an inspiring location....and then, remember some design advice:  keep images irregular; use oblique lines whenever you can; and stray away from predictability in form and shape.

Happy Painting!  Catherine Hillis   www.catherinehillis.com

Plein Air

House on the Lake, Loudoun County, VA

Folks ask me:  what's plein air?

During warm weather, my heart, mind and soul look only towards painting outdoors.

Plein air means....in the fresh air.  The French Impressionists did their share of painting in the fresh air and today there are more and more competitions across America where 20 - 30 professional painters are selected, by a judge,  to compete during a week of outdoor painting in a specific location.  The week culminates in well advertised sales events where collectors are invited to purchase.  And the collectors of plein air paintings are certainly out there. Prizes are awarded.  Photographs are taken. Magazine articles are written.

Professional artists who participate in these events are honored to be selected for an event.  It's wonderful to be chosen by a judge who probably has many registered artists to select from.  Artists are often housed with a host family, who try to make their adopted artiste comfortable when they're painting in their town.  Working outdoors - all day -  is not easy.  Artists are expected to come up with a specified number of framed and finished pieces for the sales events.  There's a good bit of pressure involved in finishing up, and finishing up WELL.  It can be oppressively hot, or rainy/ paintings may dry too quickly or not fast enough/ they may not turn out as well as expected/ chatty pedestrians can break concentration/ things fall/ wind blows/ hunger calls or even worse....

Collectors of art.....we thank you for your belief in our work and your love of what we do.  It's collectors who help the artist continue to think and paint and create.