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Fine Art For Selective People
By Raymond Wattenhofer

Artists choose many situations in which to paint. It may mean working in a studio setting or it could be painting en plein air. Recently en plein air painting has been the focus of many artists as a way of creating a landscape painting. 

En plein air is a phrase originating in France, which means to execute a painting in the open air. The method has been practiced for centuries by artists in landscape painting and can produce excellent results. One intention for a painting done en plein air is to use it as reference in the studio to create a more elaborated painting of a subject. Many times though a painting executed en plein air expresses exactly the vision the artist had from the outset and there is no desire to elaborate any further on a subject. 

The response to a subject is different when painting in the studio than when painting en plein air. In the studio there is more time to think and make decisions, but in painting outdoors the decision process has to be much quicker and decisive. When you factor in various elements such as heat, rain, wind and a changing light source the challenge is great to create a successful painting. In reality the artist is capturing bits of information in a time lapse. The end result of a painting completed en plein air is the unification of all the bits of information processed by an artist. Hopefully, when the painting is done it’s a great painting! 

Painting en plein air is a challenge under the best of conditions. The important thing to remember in a good painting is not so much the fact that it was done en plein air or in the studio, but in the skill of the artist. The thought process and the ability of an artist to execute with definition the visual information before them should not be eclipsed by where it was painted. The great en plein air painter Matt Smith put it succinctly in his recent article A Delicate Balance, “Whether a painting has been created on location or in the studio, a good painting is a good painting” (Plein Air, January 2005: vol. 2, 37). 

A finished painting is the reflection of the artist’s interpretation of a subject and the period of time he or she worked. When searching for that “Just for you painting”, it is always a good idea to base your decision on the merits of the painting and not the location it was painted. En plein air and studio painting are both viable atmospheres in which to work and create good paintings. It is a matter of choice by the artist and ultimately it comes down to what situation provides the best creative environment for the artist.