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Author: Lei_Iverson, Contributing Editor
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| Recently, I demonstrated my 'Plein Air Painting' approach to the crowds at "The Living Desert–Wildlife and Botanical Park," in Indian Wells, California.
The Park, had a variety of subjects, with animal exhibits, gardens and nature trails. It took me little time to select a location in the 'Tranquility Garden' area for my painting location. Neither questions nor comments from the public detoured me from completing my painting in only two hours. I even had enough time to pause for a repair to a broken leg on my Russian easel. For a time I held my easel up with one of my legs and continued undaunted by the minor catastrophe. When asked by one of my many spectators, "How are you able to paint so quickly?" I replied, "With four sons I learned early on if I wanted to paint I had to do it fast, and thirty-plus years of painting doesn't hurt." |
| Demonstrating my painting for the public and patrons of the arts was exciting. The following steps are those I took to paint my personal impression of the desert garden gate and wall.
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| Using a mixture of Alizarin Crimson with medium, grayed by a touch of black, I first wash the entire canvas. After a few minutes of observing the subject of my painting, I then start by loosely laying out the composition. Drawing with a mark here, a line there, I move thoughtfully across the canvas. Keeping everything simple with only indications of the placement of what I see rather than doing a detailed drawing. |  |
 | This close up shows how the pot on the ground in front of the wall was described in the simplest of terms, but with enough information that I know how tall and wide the pot is and where it lines up with the wall, gate, and path. While in the process of painting the form I am not tied down to anything that I could not change later on if I felt it necessary. |
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