Kerrville Outdoor Painters’ Event
We got a wonderful e-mail from Mike Martin, one of the winners at the recent Kerrville Outdoor Painters’ Event, which was juried by Santa Fe artist Albert Handell. This was the first plein air event held in the historic hill country town of Kerrville, which is known for its beautiful parks along the banks of the Guadalupe River.
Here is Mike's letter:
"On October 4th, 5th, and 6th I attended the 1st Kerrville Plein Air Event. It was very well organized and an exciting event. The judge was Albert Handell from Santa Fe. The weather and country side were beautiful. I was the first to arrive at 7AM check- in of the first morning. I got a book showing the local ranches and picked out a great one. I went and met the rancher and went and set up my homemade 9X12 pochade box in the field.I worked on a scene of an old tree and a fallen windmill for about thirty minutes. I stepped back from the tripod holding my pochade, to view the painting from a distance. That's when it happened! A gust of wind blew over the tripod. My pochade, that I have been using for over a year, hit the ground. It exploded like a grenade of wood, and muddy, green, colored turpentine. All my brushes were now dirty and wet. My painting was caked in dirt. The pochade and tripod were broken and beyond repair... not as good of a start as I would have wished for. I picked it up and cleaned my brushes, the box it was a "gonner"!
Well, the rest of my time I enjoyed this great event. I painted my paintings from ground level leaning the panels on rocks. I produced five 9 x 12 panels that I thought were good, considering what had happened to my pochade. On the last night, judging took place, and I was picked for Third prize, Outdoor Painter's Award! I felt like it was destiny! The prize included Linen panels, new brushes and a Guerrilla 9 X 12 box and accessory kit! Wow!!! I was so happy to have placed, but to have won a new pochade! Life couldn't be any better. In the attached picture, I'm not smiling, that's my "I can't believe it" look.
Sincerely,
Mike Martin
PS: Thank you for the best prize ever!"
Congratulations, Mike! A true "guerrilla painter" who keeps painting no matter the obstacles.
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Take Your Art Outside: The Allure of Plein Air Painting
Have you ever felt the urge to ditch the studio and unleash your creativity in the fresh air? Plein air painting, ("in the open air"), might be the ticket.
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