Laguna
Plein Air Painters Association 2001
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PAPA 2000 / 2001
Nepal Journal page1
The Laguna Plein Air Painters Association is a group of artists from the Laguna Beach area who are dedicated to painting outdoors from life. This is the third year of an event that has become one of the best of its kind. Each year 50 invited artists from all around the country come to Laguna and paint from Sunday to Thursday all around Laguna. Then each of the artist's choose three paintings (plus the Friday morning Quick Draw) to hang in the Museum for the show on Saturday and Sunday. Here's some photos of a few of the artists painting during the week. I included links to as many of the artist's websites as I knew, if you have one and I don't have a link included, or if I've missed someone's name, just drop me an e-mail and I'll include it.
Albert Handell doing a preliminary drawing of rock formations for a pastel while the next generation of artists looks on in fascination. I actually met Albert many years ago when I was just beginning to paint. I went along with him and several other painters and art students to Wisconsin to paint landscapes for a week. In fact, those were the very first outdoor landscapes I'd ever done, so it sure is an honor getting to the point of being in a show alongside Albert now. You can see Albert's work at http://www.mtntrails.net/jackson/
The intrepid Bob Wierma getting set to go out and do some landscape sketches. Bob isn't in this show, but knows many of the artists well and Laguna isn't far from home for him. Bob is also a fantastic carpenter and made me and Susan some custom outdoor painting boxes in trade for a portrait I did of him. Thanks, Bob!
Ken Auster in his natural environment -- I wonder how he
decides whether to go surfing or painting? http://www.kenauster.com/
Thanks to Jack and Nancy Carroll for this photo.
Billyo O'Donnell painting just inches away from the bar during the Quick Draw. He definitely looks pretty comfy there -- what happened to all those stories I'm always hearing about Plein Air Painters being attacked by bugs, packs of dogs, and all that? Even in my studio I can't just order a beer while painting! Thanks to Jack and Nancy Carroll for this photo.
Here's a great photo Jack Carroll got of Matt Smith during the Quick Draw. When I saw Matt's painting I remarked that he'd painted the exact same scene for last year's Quick Draw. "Well, Damit, I'm gona keep painting it every year till I get it right!" was his reply. I guess we'll have to wait till next year to find out if Matt thinks he got this one right. http://mattsmith-fineart.com/
The incomparable Morgan Samuel Price at the Quick Draw as photographed by Jack Carroll. You can really tell how much of a professional Morgan is by this setup -- she's really got on-the-spot painting down to a science! http://www.morgansamuelprice.com/
Here's another of Jack's photos from the Quick Draw. This is Robin Hall http://www.robinhall.com/ doing one of her distinctive Ocean scenes. Thanks for sending all the photos, Jack and Nancy, I often wish I didn't have to paint during the Quick Draw so I could watch, but I guess if all the artists did that, there'd be nothing to watch!
Here's Charles Muench doing one of his larger on-the-spot paintings and making the rest of us look like wimps. What a show-off! I first met Charles when he took one of my workshops in Scottsdale. I hadn't planned on telling him THE SECRET of painting, but, well, after a few too many beers I let it slip, and now there's one more great artist to contend with -- I hope I don't get in trouble for giving someone THE SECRET without them first endured the dreaded Peanut butter and Jelly ritual. If any of the Art Elders are reading this, rest assured, I've learned my lesson and won't let it happen again! http://charlesmuench.com/
Dan Goozee' at the quick draw. Dan had first set up on the beach to do a painting of me, doing a painting of John Budicin. Unfortunately he set up under a somewhat hidden drain pipe that I knew became a sudden waterfall every fifteen minutes or so. Ok, the thought did occur to me not to tell him and have my camera at the ready -- I am only human, after all! But then my conscience won out and and I pointed this out to him. My reward? He painted Anita Hampton with her pretty hat on instead! Gee, if he'd only asked me I would have switched hats with Anita. Dan's work can be seen at Joan Irvine Smith Gallery.
Dan Goozee' and Anita Hampton at the Quick Draw.
Here's a huge painting Dan Goozee' did for the show -- it was really breathtaking, though it's always harder to get the impact of larger paintings when they're shrunk down so small for the web
Looks like one of the old-time California artist's decided to join us. Seeing the hand palette and with none of the town in the background, you can certainly get a feel of the timelessness of the beach. How many artists over the last century have stood in this exact spot and painted this very scene?
Jacobus Baas and John Budicin during the week.
Thanks to Jay Strotkamp for this photo of Matt Smith and John Cosby painting at the Quick Draw. Lyle Rennick (in the yellow shirt and white hat) bought Matt's Quick Draw. As an artist himself, he said it was wonderful getting to buy a painting that you've seen done from start to finish and then remember all those visual lessons every time you see the painting at home. I told him that next year he should even bring his video camera.
John Budicin painting at the Quick Draw. John and I took one morning off and went over to the Joan Irvine Museum to study the show there of early California Impressionists (including Edgar Payne, who is my favorite and also started out at the Palette and Chisel in Chicago nearly a century ago!). A bunch of other artists showed up and it was funny watching everyone discuss, analyze, and argue about the paintings. I think Jean LeGassick and Kenn Backhaus debated for a half hour whether a particular blob of yellow paint was supposed to be a rock or a person. John said something like, "It looks good, so who cares what it is!" Ok, he said it to me in a whisper, but, you know, Jean is pretty tough... You can see John's work at http://trailsidegalleries.com/
John Cosby, not afraid to paint in a high-traffic area. In fact, even in the few minutes I stood around waiting to take this photo, four separate people interrupted him and asked a ton of questions. John is so nice that he politely explained the show to each and even gave them brochures for the event. Lets see, four people in five minutes, for an approximately two hour painting... well, you can do the math, but I think I'm beginning to understand why John won the People's Choice Award! Ok, I'll admit it, his painting was also awesome, so that might have had something to do with it as well.
Anita Hampton and Dan Goozee's painting of her at the Quick Draw. Notice the pretty hat -- some people will just do anything to get painted! Thanks to Judy and Rocky Hafdahl for this photo.
Kenn Backhaus up on a cliff.
I'm always telling young artists they should come out to the many paint-outs even if they're not officially in the show since it's a great way to get inspired and learn by painting along some of the best artists in the country. My friend, Logan, who studies at Associates of Art in LA was one of the few who actually took my advice and came down and painted for the entire week. I ran into him occasionally while out painting myself -- this time in the canyon where a whole group of us had set up on top of a hill. Logan is a really accomplished figure painter and is just jumping into landscapes so it takes a lot of bravery to set your easel up next to the likes of Ned Mueller and Matt Smith, but it sure is a great lesson!
Here's Matt Smith painting at Moss Point as the noon shadows were growing long. If you're wondering what Matt is thinking right about now, odds are it's something like, "Hm, I think it's getting about time for a beer." Matt told me that he'd once had a tooth pulled and the doctor gave him a prescription for some pain medication. After going to the drugstore and paying his twenty bucks for the pills, he noticed on the back of the bottle "Do not mix with alcohol". "Forget that!" Matt said, and tossed them right into the trash. "I had a bottle of wine and it took that pain right away," Matt assured me.
Michael Gibbons painting up on the hill I was talking about in the canyon. About ten feet behind him we discovered a baby rattlesnake, which luckily slipped away under a rock and didn't bite anyone since we were told the babys administer a far higher dose of venom than the adults! The artist closest to the snake was one of Logan's friends from Associates and you could tell he was new to outdoor painting by the fact that he was wearing sandals to paint in the canyon.
Here's one of Michael's friends who came down to paint along with us all as well. I thought he looked a lot like the photos of Sargent sketching.
Ned Mueller up on the cliff as well. Ned is truly one of the best painters I've ever seen. I tried buying one of his boat paintings in Catalina but someone else just beat me to it. I'm saving my pennies, though, for another one. He's got a great website, by the way http://nedmueller.com/
Here's Neil Boyle and his wife (in the picture below) painting at the top of the stairs at Moss Point. Boy would I like to sit down with them sometime and hear all their stories of the art world!
Ray Roberts peaking through the rock formations down on the "Rockpile". Both Ray and I had gotten kicked off this spot the day before at the same time by a lifeguard. Even though it was the same time of day with even worse tide conditions, there was a different, nicer lifeguard that let us stay and paint this time. His wife, Peggi Kroll-Roberts, also did some awesome paintings of children on the beach, though I never ran across her during the week. Since Susan decided not to do the show again this year, I think they're the only husband-wife team left! Maybe to fix this we could get some of the artists already in the show to take some vows. You're welcome to send suggestions, and, remember, this is California, so you can be creative in your matches.
Richard Kent at the Quick Draw. See, he's smiling at his painting. Maybe if we were all a little more polite to our paintings they'd respond. I've sure swore at enough of them, maybe I'll try his approach sometime.
Scott Jennings! http://wsjennings.com/
Here's a couple of students from Art Center in LA. I met three of them down on the beach and they were really good! Things are looking good for the future of California art. They were so excited because Matt had just been by and given them some pointers. Unfortunately the tide was on the rise and they were forced to move soon as their location became rather wet. We all have to learn that one once before picking up a tide schedule our first day in town!
PAPA 2000 / 2001
Nepal Journal page1
