Plein Air

In the summer, club members paint outdoors en plein air. Not necessarily a fully finished painting, sometimes we sketch or use pastels, but the important part is we’re outside, not in a hall or studio. Light and weather can change quickly so it’s necessary to work quickly and spontaneously. The results are both surprising and rewarding.

Some artists finish a painting in one go, or alla prima. Some make sketches, take photos, and complete the painting at home. Others just sketch.

Here in Dorset we have some wonderful landscapes to inspire us, but back gardens or urban streets can be just as special. This year we have visited: Studland beach, Rockley Park, the Blue Pool, Corfe Castle, a community project in Shillingstone, the Natural Science Museum, Anderson Manor, and Deans Court amongst others. Below you will find a selection from these visits with each artist giving us their own interpretation of the scene before them.