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| "Morning with a Treasured Tree" oil 12 x 12 Available at Cary Gallery of Artists through Oct 22 |
What is my comfort
zone? The studio−everything I need,
quiet, being undisturbed to plan and organize, time to complete a painting on
my schedule.
So when I was given the opportunity to participate in Historic Southport’s Plein Air Paint Out and Wet Paint Sale, my reaction was: Ugh, Paint Outs! I’ve avoided them like the plague. Pressure. Jockey for position at the most interesting sites. Quick decisions. Compose-Paint-Frame! Not the meditative and “sinking into the place” experience that is so enjoyable about painting outdoors. And during the start of hurricane season, I thought. Oh, yea. And scheduled right before I’m preparing for three exhibits. The date, September 14, was picked to coordinate with the International Plein Air Painters Organization Worldwide Paint Out. Who knew there was an International WORLD WIDE paint out?
In my mind there were plenty
of reasons not to participate. But I
overcame all the internal nay-saying because one of the organizers was Jim McIntosh. We wanted to see him again and the
ever-so-lovely coastal town of Southport, NC. We had
visited Southport the year before and stayed in the heart of the
downtown at the Southport Inn B and B. Southport has been the location to many
movies for its historic buildings, small parks, walkable waterfronts, docked
boats and yachts, and charming merchant and tree-lined residential streets. For these same reasons, it’s a delightful
location for outdoor painting. If there was ever going to be a fun paint out,
Jim, a lively and easy-going watercolorist, would make it so.
The problem is—I’m not easy-going!
So, being a former arts administrator, I went into planning mode. I spent weeks agonizing over gathering an
assortment of frames and painting panels so Walt and I would have a variety of
size and orientation choices –6 x 8, 5 x 7, 8 x 10, 9 x 12 (horizontal and
vertical) for all the subjects we’d want to paint. In the final week, I came to my senses and
realized neither of us would paint more than two paintings in the morning hours
before we’d want lunch and need to pack up for the viewing area. We ended up packing only a few prepared 12 x
12 frames --one nice square orientation!—prewired with backer boards and identified
with business cards. That decision done!
Next—map out our desired locations. I’ve been doing a
series of trees, so I was particularly interested in painting the estimated 800
year old Indian Trail tree, also known as Treasure Tree. So that was to be our first stop, followed by
either the old yacht basin or a residential scene or downtown business. We would let our energy and interest of the
day guide us. The evening before we took
a leisurely stroll around the town to consider distances (for hauling equipment
between sites) and to estimate the sun’s location in the morning—here Walt is
of incalculable help as I’ve never figured out the seasonal movement of the
planets! Where the heck is that sun going to be?! Is there an app for this? (Turns out there
is, Sun Seeker, but Walt’s a better companion.)
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| "Bunting and 'Brella" oil 12x12. Available. At Cary Cafe through Oct 27 |
In the middle of the
afternoon, all the participating artists congregated at the Fort
Johnson-Southport Museum & Visitors Center lawn. The assortment of styles and quality was top
quality. This event will surely
grow. We ended the day with a seafood
dinner with good friends Paulette and Hank Wright. Paulette, a photographer and painter,
participated with her acrylic work.
Walt’s paintings have
already migrated to his office at Armor Investment Advisors, but I can tell you
his acrylic work was very popular. The tree pictured above was the first painting we each worked on in Kezia Park. Next I chose to paint a portion of the Christmas Shop and, the next day, a boat in the Old Yacht Basin.
How do I feel about the experience? Ebullient! By leaving my comfort zone I learned I could make quick and good decisions, that years of workshop and daily painting training would buoy me up, and that, by being approachable, the good nature of the public and fellow artists would encourage me. Where I had been struggling with painting in the weeks prior, the experience of going out of my comfort zone was what I needed to rejuvenate my confidence and painting.
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| "Calm in the Basin" oil 12x12 Available. At Cary Gallery of Artists through Oct 22 |
How do I feel about the experience? Ebullient! By leaving my comfort zone I learned I could make quick and good decisions, that years of workshop and daily painting training would buoy me up, and that, by being approachable, the good nature of the public and fellow artists would encourage me. Where I had been struggling with painting in the weeks prior, the experience of going out of my comfort zone was what I needed to rejuvenate my confidence and painting.
Challenge met!
In addition to Jim McIntosh, thanks to Cindy Brochure of Tourism and Economic Development, Film Liaison City of Southport, for organizing this event. We’ll be b-a-a-a-ck!
In Cary, my paintings are available at Cary Gallery of Artists 200 S. Academy St. in downtown Cary Ashworth Village. 919-462-2035 Mon-Sat 11 am - 5:30 pm.
On the coast, my works are available at Figments Gallery, 1319 Military Cutoff, Landfall Shopping Center, Wilmington, NC 28405 910-509-4289
Visit me at
www.sheffieldartstudio.com
LIKE me at
www.facebook.com/sarahsheffieldartstudio
