EAFA Plein Air Program 2011

Details

Last Updated on Sunday, 04 September 2011 01:26

Quick Links to Printable PDF Files

Read the Plein Air Primer

To paraphrase the Bard . . .

First Artist
When shall we meet again?
In thunder, lightning, or in rain?

Second Artist
When the rains of spring are done,
When the day is bright with sun,
Then the painting shall be done.

First Artist
Where the place?

Second Artist
See below!

Welcome, fellow painters, to EAFA's plein air outings for 2011! Everyone is welcome. You don't need to be a member of EAFA to participate. You don't even need to be a painter, for that matter.

We will be meeting each Tuesday from May 24 through September 27. This year's plein-air coordinator Steve Whitney, assistant coordinator Helen Todd, or a designated replacement, will arrive at each venue no later than 9:30 a.m. You are welcome to come earlier or later as you wish. We will break for lunch at 12:30. The official session ends with lunch, but many of us will resume painting in the afternoon, as weather, energy, and inspiration permit.

During lunch, you can display your morning's efforts for others to enjoy. You should also feel free not to do so, and there will be no formal critique as in years past. The point is to enjoy the day, the painting, and your companions without any pressure to perform. Should you want feedback from particular individuals or the group, however, feel free to ask.

This year's schedule includes venues for landscape painters of every taste: city, suburb, farmland, park, garden, lake, stream, woodland, forest, and mountains. Fewer parks and gardens are included in this year's schedule than in previous years. In their place, the number of rural and mountain venues has been increased. Most sites are—appropriately—on the East Side; a few are in Seattle or farther afield. Most have nearby restrooms or, in some cases, pit toilets. A few do not and will require judicious use of nearby vegetation. Those that do not are so indicated in the schedule below.

Directions are necessarily abbreviated and are from more or less arbitrary locations. Adjust the directions to fit your location. Better yet, use your GPS or an online mapping program, such as Bing, Google, or MapQuest for customized, detailed directions to each site. Should you get lost, call Steve Whitney at (425) 286-4193 and he'll try to talk you in.

Finally a few tips and requests. Dress in layers for the weather. Bring sun block and insect repellant. Wear a hat! Shade is scarce in some venues, so an artist's umbrella is advised to shield your easel and palette. Also be prepared to deal with wind, which can be a problem especially in the mountains and by large bodies of water. Above all, be sensitive to your environment. Please do not dump solvents, paint, or soiled water. Leave each site in as good or better condition than you found it. Finally, please be aware that some venues are adjacent to or include private property and take care to respect their owners privacy.

We look forward to a summer of inspiring views, boon companions, and record sunshine! At least the first two are guaranteed!