Easel Tides

Scouting out the area on the back side of Sandy Neck for painting on location several times , I realized as the summer turned to fall it just got better and better. The day I brought my class there to paint was perfect. A little color starting. Crisp air, not too cold. They were up for the challenge. We set up with a variety of views to paint.

Now I did notice the tide was coming in but I just figured I would keep an eye on it. Starting my own study quickly so I could get an example on canvas for them. Within fifteen minutes I had covered my small canvas and went to start checking on the students. Make sure everyone chose a strong composition and had their easels set up sufficiently.

Quickly I realized the tide was not bad near me but it was swiftly moving in surrounding some cars and painters. “Everybody pick up and move out!” I shouted. “Quick quick.” I was impressed how fast everyone moved back up the dirt road to higher ground. They scrambled. I caught my breath and turned around to see that one student had forgot his easel and within seconds it was sitting in the salty water.

I went back and retrieved the easel and reset the class on safe ground nearby.

This gave me a chance to expound on the beauty of painting from memory. “Remember the clouds rolling past. Remember the distant dunes and the hint of color changes in the large marshland.” And they did.

All good studies produced from memory. Next time I could check the tide chart. Na, I would rather keep it exciting.

Wind

This is why I do not teach on-location classes that often.

As soon as I got to our site today the students were all over me asking, “are we were still painting outside today in these winds?” A mutiny on my hands. It was indeed windy.

I listened to my weather radio after class and it said the winds hit 32 Miles an hour or 30 knots this afternoon October 4,2008. It just came out of nowhere. But considering last week we canceled due to a tropical rain storm I was somewhat determined in the second week of our eight week class to get working in the elements.

So if I cannot get them to paint in the difficult elements, then I would show them it could be done, that it should be done. Because it is only on days like today that an artist sees the trees rocking, the clouds souring across the sky, coming from the southeast. The noise was what struck me. The leaves and branches battering against each other. Debris flying through the air. But mainly the clouds roaring overhead in big billows of layers in a hurry to the bay.

I compromised and said we would stay while I demo-ed some important things and then we head back to the Conservatory to paint inside the rest of our class time.

They were all over that.

I set up to do a simple demonstration and it ended up taking two paint boxes to keep my easel in place to work. I painted quickly explaining what I wanted to capture today. A day like this there are no hard lines, no hard edges because everything is moving in the breeze. It is all blurred. The landscape is soft in the movement.

I finished quickly getting a solid study done and they hurried off quickly, driving to the classroom.

But I cannot help thinking of the missed opportunity today for them. As a teacher I failed to get them to work in the tough circumstances. Failed to get them to take the risk of a fallen easel or of learning how to weight one’s easel against the wind and take the extra five minutes to secure the canvas for painting.

Because it’s only when you step up to the challenge, that art is rewarding.