The Unexpected Benefit of En Route Painting
The Unexpexted Benefit of En Route Painting
A Brief Biography and Proactive Artistic Practice Shared
by L.C.Kemmerling
as published in The Upper Hudson Valley Watercolor Society Newsletter, March and April 2013
Growing up, I was surrounded by beauty and security with my interest in art nurtured by my parents, grandparents and teachers. It wasn’t much of a surprise as college approached that I was researching art programs. Because I like so many things, I made my indecision work for me by majoring in both Graphic Design and Studio Art at the College of Saint Rose in Albany. After graduation, I worked as a freelance designer and then later as a staff designer at the Golub Corporation. When I married the man of my dreams who was training to be a Navy helicopter pilot, life took a pleasing and dramatic turn as I became a wife and homemaker and then a mother and home educator. It became my turn to teach and nurture a new generation of creative people.
In July of 2010 there was an unnerving lull in life as I recognized the needs of home and family were decreasing and I had gained some unallocated time and energy to do something fun just for me. After a visit to the Clark Museum in Williamsburg, MA I spent a lot of time sighing, and I was literal sighing, over the Monet and Winslow Homer paintings wishing I could paint again. With encouragement from my husband and some late night web surfing, I found a watercolor class taught by Susan Wiley at Saratoga Arts. Strangely enough, with my excellent foundational art training in college, I never learned anything about watercolors. This class was just the right thing for me and I loved it. I was able to unpack and dust off old skills and also try something new; something old, something new, nothing borrowed and some cobalt blue.
While taking the class, we went on our annual trip to PA for our Fourth of July family reunion picnic. I was having such a good time painting and not wanting to waste time or be bored, I thought; why not try to paint while we drove the eight hours south and back? It was then I discovered ‘en route painting’. It is similar to plein air painting but it’s what you do when you are stuck in the car and not driving, of course. I don’t think it can claim a romantic history like plein air paining but more research needs to be done is this area. I’m pretty sure John Constable and J. M. W. Turner never painted from their Land Rovers. Maybe the Barbizon school all rented a tour bus but I don’t know if they would have agreed who should be the driver. I can imagine any of the Impressionists painting on a train yet there would have been the distracting allure of socializing with friends till all hours in the dining car. I did read an article that mentioned Monet painted from a boat. Whatever illustrious past or precedent there may be, here are some tips for our modern era.
Supplies needed:
Mini sketch pad for a value sketch or preliminary drawing
Watercolors are especially suited for this as oils would be malodorous making you very unpopular with fellow travelers. Also, the flammable factor is not where you want to go either. Unlike plein air painting, en route painting has the potential for better climate control. Rarely are there heaters or air conditioner vents in arms reach while painting in the great outdoors. A large shade hat isn’t as necessary either. Others in back of you can pass the time watching you paint and hopefully not heckling. Having an interesting audiobook makes it fun too. We recommend www.librivox.org for free down loadable audiobooks taken from the public domain. Some favorites include: Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain, The Thirty Nine Steps by John Buchan and anything by G.K. Chesterton or Jane Austen.
For some reason painting in the car doesn’t make me queasy like when I try to read a book. If it does cause queasiness please discontinue. Speaking of queasiness, I have tried painting beautiful mountain scenery as we zipped down the highway but I was not up to a 75 mph quick draw. It was a little too frustrating. I need more practice to be up to that. Restroom breaks are the perfect time to get fresh water. You will seem like just the average traveler with a red plastic cup with none suspecting you are carrying around a very unpalatable combination of aureolin yellow and quinacridone rose. If it’s warm and sunny, paintings can be dried and displayed on the dashboard. An enterprising soul could even put out a “FOR SALE” sign and price tag and try to find a buyer. There may be potential for an untapped art market out there.
On one trip I was able to share the fun. Our youngest who, from lack of seniority, rides in the back of the van was getting fussy. I took out my mini sketch pad, wrote him a note and painted him a portrait of his favorite stuffed animal and sent it back by sibling hand off express. This helped to amuse him, and many in between, as we corresponded by sketchpad for the rest of the journey. So for the next long car ride maybe you could bring your art supplies along and put that commuting time to good use and paint something en route.
A Brief Biography and Proactive Artistic Practice Shared
by L.C.Kemmerling
as published in The Upper Hudson Valley Watercolor Society Newsletter, March and April 2013
En Route [ɒn
ˈruːt ] , adj or adv, on or along the way; on the road, from the French
Growing up, I was surrounded by beauty and security with my interest in art nurtured by my parents, grandparents and teachers. It wasn’t much of a surprise as college approached that I was researching art programs. Because I like so many things, I made my indecision work for me by majoring in both Graphic Design and Studio Art at the College of Saint Rose in Albany. After graduation, I worked as a freelance designer and then later as a staff designer at the Golub Corporation. When I married the man of my dreams who was training to be a Navy helicopter pilot, life took a pleasing and dramatic turn as I became a wife and homemaker and then a mother and home educator. It became my turn to teach and nurture a new generation of creative people.
In July of 2010 there was an unnerving lull in life as I recognized the needs of home and family were decreasing and I had gained some unallocated time and energy to do something fun just for me. After a visit to the Clark Museum in Williamsburg, MA I spent a lot of time sighing, and I was literal sighing, over the Monet and Winslow Homer paintings wishing I could paint again. With encouragement from my husband and some late night web surfing, I found a watercolor class taught by Susan Wiley at Saratoga Arts. Strangely enough, with my excellent foundational art training in college, I never learned anything about watercolors. This class was just the right thing for me and I loved it. I was able to unpack and dust off old skills and also try something new; something old, something new, nothing borrowed and some cobalt blue.
While taking the class, we went on our annual trip to PA for our Fourth of July family reunion picnic. I was having such a good time painting and not wanting to waste time or be bored, I thought; why not try to paint while we drove the eight hours south and back? It was then I discovered ‘en route painting’. It is similar to plein air painting but it’s what you do when you are stuck in the car and not driving, of course. I don’t think it can claim a romantic history like plein air paining but more research needs to be done is this area. I’m pretty sure John Constable and J. M. W. Turner never painted from their Land Rovers. Maybe the Barbizon school all rented a tour bus but I don’t know if they would have agreed who should be the driver. I can imagine any of the Impressionists painting on a train yet there would have been the distracting allure of socializing with friends till all hours in the dining car. I did read an article that mentioned Monet painted from a boat. Whatever illustrious past or precedent there may be, here are some tips for our modern era.
Supplies needed:
Reference photo in a plastic
page protector taped to the dashboard in front of you
Mini sketch pad for a value sketch or preliminary drawing
A medium sized sketch pad or
paper taped to a lap size piece of foam board
Paints, 2-4 brushes, rag or
paper towels
Cup of water
From here you proceed as you
would when painting outdoors.
Watercolors are especially suited for this as oils would be malodorous making you very unpopular with fellow travelers. Also, the flammable factor is not where you want to go either. Unlike plein air painting, en route painting has the potential for better climate control. Rarely are there heaters or air conditioner vents in arms reach while painting in the great outdoors. A large shade hat isn’t as necessary either. Others in back of you can pass the time watching you paint and hopefully not heckling. Having an interesting audiobook makes it fun too. We recommend www.librivox.org for free down loadable audiobooks taken from the public domain. Some favorites include: Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain, The Thirty Nine Steps by John Buchan and anything by G.K. Chesterton or Jane Austen.
For some reason painting in the car doesn’t make me queasy like when I try to read a book. If it does cause queasiness please discontinue. Speaking of queasiness, I have tried painting beautiful mountain scenery as we zipped down the highway but I was not up to a 75 mph quick draw. It was a little too frustrating. I need more practice to be up to that. Restroom breaks are the perfect time to get fresh water. You will seem like just the average traveler with a red plastic cup with none suspecting you are carrying around a very unpalatable combination of aureolin yellow and quinacridone rose. If it’s warm and sunny, paintings can be dried and displayed on the dashboard. An enterprising soul could even put out a “FOR SALE” sign and price tag and try to find a buyer. There may be potential for an untapped art market out there.
On one trip I was able to share the fun. Our youngest who, from lack of seniority, rides in the back of the van was getting fussy. I took out my mini sketch pad, wrote him a note and painted him a portrait of his favorite stuffed animal and sent it back by sibling hand off express. This helped to amuse him, and many in between, as we corresponded by sketchpad for the rest of the journey. So for the next long car ride maybe you could bring your art supplies along and put that commuting time to good use and paint something en route.
set up for en route painting
making full use of cup holders
the spotted puppy
75 mile per hour quick draw
The monkey that cheered up a fellow passenger
I LOVE this post!!! I, too, have tried en route painting, though never with a reference photo. Great idea and set-up. I've done the 75 mph quick draw approach, which doesn't work so well here in the northeast, where the scenery changes fast, but is not so hard when traveling through the midwest, with its long, flat vistas.
ReplyDeleteYour writing is beautiful, and I really like your stated purpose for your blog. It is very similar to my reasons for sharing my art and writing. I also just found the G.K Chesterton essay on a plein air outing, which you posted. I had never seen it, and it is wonderful. Thanks for sharing!