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What I Did on My Summer Vacation- Part 2- This One is for Hunt

JULY 5, 2010
 

Robert Hunt's postings of his plein air paintings were some of my favorite Drawger reads.  Not only were they tour de force landscapes that were a joy to look at but they were inspiring as well- in the “ You always say you want to be doing this as well, so get off your ass!”  I was inspired enough to go out and buy a plein air painting easel which then sat in the studio as I wrestled with assignments and deadlines and a slew of other commitments, all the time asking myself- “So what’s your excuse for not going out and doing something for yourself?” 

 
Well, one small step for Vic… This past July 4th weekend, instead of just swimming in the lake (which I still did) where our weekend house is in Salem, NY, I brought the entire set of acrylics and a fistful of brushes, unpacked the easel, and found a nice spot off the road not far from the family gathering.  I had thickly gessoed a couple of panels, not canvas, to play around with slipping and sliding the brush on the smooth surface.  By the end of the first three and a half hours on Saturday I was pleasantly surprised enough to want to return to the same spot at the same time and pick up where I left off, or rather re- investigate the scene.  The weather and lighting conditions were consistent and while I would have preferred some clouds in the pure blue sky, the lack of drama up above allowed me to focus on all the shapes and variations of colors in the trees and field changing every ten minutes, Great fun.  No grand statements made.  Not looking to say something new about painting or the subject of landscape.  Just having fun and enjoying the calligraphy of the brushstrokes.  It’s an interesting observation how our way with the brushstrokes is very similar to the marks, the language, of our drawing styles.
Thank you, Robert.  Your inspiration finally took hold.  Hopefull more to come.



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