{"id":20693,"date":"2013-05-01T18:08:23","date_gmt":"2013-05-02T00:08:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/?p=20693"},"modified":"2020-03-18T10:17:25","modified_gmt":"2020-03-18T16:17:25","slug":"organizing-your-plein-air-gear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/organizing-your-plein-air-gear\/","title":{"rendered":"Organizing Your Plein Air Gear"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"emailgear\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Simplifying the Process<\/span>
\nOrganizing your gear to make the most of your time in the field
\n<\/span>by John Hughes<\/span><\/p>\n

Painting on location is a demanding activity that requires lots of concentration, forcing the artist to devote maximum intellectual resources to the task. For this reason, it makes sense that he or she eliminates any unnecessary distractions that can be controlled easily.<\/p>\n

Besides all of the weather-related problems like heat, cold and unrelenting bugs, one of the main distractions out in the field is being disorganized. I often tell my students that, \u201cOrganizing your painting gear is half the battle.\u201d Think about how much working time you actually have to tackle a plein air landscape \u2014 typically one and a half to two hours due to changing shadows. That doesn\u2019t give you much time to fiddle around searching for tools. How much time do you think you waste just doing things like bending down to grab a brush, finding a roll of paper towels or searching for your paint thinner? It\u2019s easy to see that some of your time would be much better spent thinking about the subject and engaging in the process of painting rather than spinning your wheels on cumbersome, time-consuming activities.<\/p>\n

So what are you going to do about it? It may be high time to conduct a re- assessment of your procedures and plan accordingly. Where to start? Well, one thing is for sure, the field is no place to organize your gear and working methods. I\u2019ve heard musicians say, \u201cNever practice on stage\u201d and the same is true when facing a blank canvas out in nature; that\u2019s when you need to swing into action. May I suggest that you devote one evening in your studio or living room to a major reorganization of your gear and working method? This is really not as painful as it may sound and the time invested will surely pay big returns when the art spirit hits out in the rhubarb.<\/p>\n

I remember an incident last March, when I was headed up Big Cottonwood Canyon, bringing dessert to a bunch of scouts on a snow camp. As I was driving, I noticed a spot on Cottonwood Creek that had just the right look to make a great study. Since I had my painting gear in the car, I quickly pulled over to the side of the road and executed a quick little painting on the spot before the light had a chance to change and the effect was lost. This would not have been possible had I not wrestled with the important procedural problems long before that moment arrived. And the scouts might not have gotten their dessert.<\/p>\n

If you are ready to make the organizational plunge, the best way to start is to set up your equipment exactly the way you do out in nature as a dress rehearsal just like an actor would prepare for a part in a movie or play. The most important thing to be aware of is the accessibility of your tools. Try answering these questions:<\/p>\n