How I use my TJ for Plein Air Painting

[ToddDerrArtist]

First of all, you might be wondering what plein air painting is. It's just a fancy French phrase that folks use to basically say, painting outside....artistically.

I've kinda mellowed out with age and just take my Jeep out for sedate drives on Forest Service roads here in the Cherokee National Forest and other places, looking for subjects to paint. I'm an oil painter and love setting up under the big ol' sky and painting mountains, waterfalls, fields, trees, flowers...whatever catches my eye. Just like ol' Vincent Van Gogh and Claude Monet used to do...but they didn't have a Jeep.

Today I went up along the Tellico River and the North River. Also drove on up to the 5,000 ft. bald at Whigg Meadow. Beautiful view up there.

Here are my photos and the two paintings I completed today.

If you made it this far, thanks for check this out.

 

[IPerkWVU]

Thanks for sharing, very cool

 

[Chris]

Wow, this is indeed really, really cool! Love the paintings.

 

[Kiwi TJ]

Some nice spots to park up at...very talented, feel free to show more.

 

[Fouledplugs]

Nows all you need to do is go to Moab and the Rubicon and start making paintings of some of the iconic trails.

 

[Kiwi TJ]

Nows all you need to do is go to Moab and the Rubicon and start making paintings of some of the iconic trails.

Great Idea I like that......share prices on Orange and Brown paint would go through the roof

 

[ToddDerrArtist]

Nows all you need to do is go to Moab and the Rubicon and start making paintings of some of the iconic trails.

I love that idea.

 

[Mr. Bills]

. . . you might be wondering what plein air painting is. It's just a fancy French phrase that folks use to basically say, painting outside....artistically. . . .

Funny you would say that. I grew up in an artist colony in the Southern California foothills. Many of our neighbors were plein air artists, some apparently quite famous. One of my favorite pieces as a kid was a plein air oil by Emil Kosa, Jr., who had spent some time living in the home of our neighbor, artist Millard Sheets, purchased by my mother at a small local gallery, because the scene reminded me of the places my dad would take us in the family jeep. It hangs in my home 52 years later and it still brings back memories of those first jeep trips.

I like your work.

_____________

P.S. This is the Kosa:

 

[ToddDerrArtist]

Funny you would say that. I grew up in an artist colony in the Southern California foothills. Many of our neighbors were plein air artists, some apparently quite famous. One of my favorite pieces as a kid was a plein air oil by Emil Kosa, Jr., who had spent some time living in the home of our neighbor, artist Millard Sheets, purchased by my mother at a small local gallery, because the scene reminded me of the places my dad would take us in the family jeep. It hangs in my home 52 years later and it still brings back memories of those first jeep trips.

I like your work.

_____________

P.S. This is the Kosa:

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That is awesome!! Thanks for sharing. I'm familiar with many of the California Impressionists, but I guess Sheets and Kosa were more know as California Scene Painters...what's the difference, they are all good and inspire me.

I grew up in Indiana, not far from where there was an pretty well known artist colony in Brown County. Actually, there is still a pretty good group of plein air artist's in Indiana, of which I was a member until recently with my move to Tennessee.

I gotta get out to California sometime.

 

[Mr. Bills]

That is awesome!! Thanks for sharing. I'm familiar with many of the California Impressionists, but I guess Sheets and Kosa were more know as California Scene Painters...what's the difference, they are all good and inspire me.

I grew up in Indiana, not far from where there was an pretty well known artist colony in Brown County. Actually, there is still a pretty good group of plein air artist's in Indiana, of which I was a member until recently with my move to Tennessee.

I gotta get out to California sometime.

You should.

[I still have family in Poseyville, about two hours southwest of Brown County.]

 

[ToddDerrArtist]

You should.

[I still have family in Poseyville, about two hours southwest of Brown County.]

I know exactly where that is. I grew up in Boonville, IN. two counties east. I'd go to New Harmony, often, to paint.

 

[qslim]

Those are outstanding. I'm not an big art guy, but everything I have on my walls & garage are things that have just caught my eye and I can't begin to explain why I like them. I guess that's the point, huh? Keep up the good work and feel free to share more!

 

[ToddDerrArtist]

Those are outstanding. I'm not an big art guy, but everything I have on my walls & garage are things that have just caught my eye and I can't begin to explain why I like them. I guess that's the point, huh? Keep up the good work and feel free to share more!

Thank you!! That's what I tell people....don't buy art that matches the couch and drapes. Buy art that speaks to you.

 

[Mike White]

First of all, you might be wondering what plein air painting is. It's just a fancy French phrase that folks use to basically say, painting outside....artistically.

I've kinda mellowed out with age and just take my Jeep out for sedate drives on Forest Service roads here in the Cherokee National Forest and other places, looking for subjects to paint. I'm an oil painter and love setting up under the big ol' sky and painting mountains, waterfalls, fields, trees, flowers...whatever catches my eye. Just like ol' Vincent Van Gogh and Claude Monet used to do...but they didn't have a Jeep.

Today I went up along the Tellico River and the North River. Also drove on up to the 5,000 ft. bald at Whigg Meadow. Beautiful view up there.

Here are my photos and the two paintings I completed today.


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If you made it this far, thanks for check this out.

Those are gorgeous. I like to think of myself as a landscape photographer and live in Athens TN. I spend quite a bit of time in the Tellico Plains area.

 

[ToddDerrArtist]

Those are gorgeous. I like to think of myself as a landscape photographer and live in Athens TN. I spend quite a bit of time in the Tellico Plains area.

Hey, thanks Mike. I'm a recent transplant and not too far from you, actually. We ended up outside of Cleveland. We looked at a couple of houses in Athens. Nice little town.
I love the Tellico area. A target rich environment for paintings. Ha!!

 

[Mike White]

I agree that its a target rich environment. I have a lot of photographs from there. If you haven't been to Citico Creek yet, you should give that a look. It's off the Cherohala Skyway at Indian Boundary.