An artist’s view of the world – its colors, its creatures, and the canvases yet to paint.
Art stories, art articles, tips and the art around me. Click Follow! And share my posts – Donna Liguria Fine Art of Woodbridge, Virginia.
Every once in a while an artist has to go and do something not in their usual style or type of artwork. Perhaps to just try it out and explore an idea in their heads, perhaps to try to enter into a challenging art show they may not necessarily apply to.
SKU: 08W25ACG
Medium: Acrylic
Size: 10x10x1.5 Gallery Wrapped Stretched Canvas
Edition Year: 2025
What Brought About this Painting?
I am NOT a fan of haunted, horror, scary, halloween themes and movies. Nope. Not a fan of spiders, creepy creatures, ghosts or goblins. The Walking Dead, The Thing, anything with witches, jump out and grab you movies, I avoid like the plague. Yet, I'm hoping to enter an upcoming art show with perhaps, some "slightly" darker themes. Here is one of the artworks I hope to enter with a few of the painting as it progresses...
This is not the final of the painting, but its close...Let's see if I can get this in the show. Wish me luck!
_______________________________________
Author: Donna Liguria is the Blogmaster for Donna's Cave Paintings and the PWAS Artistry Spin Blog and an artist member of the Prince William Art Society (PWAS) in Woodbridge, VA. Donna specializes in acrylic paintings of landscapes, seascapes, historic locations, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com and her Donna's Esty site to shop her art.
*I LOVE reading your comments on my posts! Just remember that the blog comments are monitored so they may not appear right away.
Do you need a handmade, original painting for yourself or as a gift for a friend or family member? Yes, I do most commissions, so please contact me through this blog, on Facebook, My Website at https://DonnaLiguriaArt.com, or go to Donna Liguria Art on Etsy at https://donnaliguriaart.etsy.com to shop my available Artwork.
You've
done the work. You created your artwork and submitted it to a juried
art show or gallery in the hope of showing off your artwork to the
masses. You may even have submitted a fee to enter the show. Now, the
wait begins to see if you get the thumbs up or the thumb down.
(Warning: Please note that I'm not going to sugarcoat this article.)
And then the notice comes in that your artwork was NOT accepted.
There
are some things within the artist's control when submitting artwork to a
gallery for selection, but probably much more frustrating is that there
are more things that ARE NOT within the artist's control. And even more
confusing and/or frustrating, the reasons for rejection that are out of
your control, you may never ever know about.
Some
art shows have one juror, some have several jurors at the same time
when the volume is huge for a show. Some art spaces have a jury
committee - a group of people that decide what will be included in the
show. But what they should all have in common is that they all want the
best display of artwork for their upcoming show, period.
When
the Prince William Art Society (PWAS) was at the Open Space Arts (OSA)
at Stonebridge (now defunct) , we used a "Jury Committee" which is a
group of artists with a variety of art backgrounds that review all art
submissions. While we cannot speak for every juried art show in the
world, there are common features that are taken into consideration when
populating a gallery for specific art shows.
Here are some things that the gallery has total control over:
1. Quality Images to Jury.
The gallery, actually the jury person(s) have control over what was
submitted to them. If the image of the art - the photo that you took of
your art looks terrible, the jury or juror can easily drop the
submission. The artwork may look fantastic in person, but what the juror
saw was not good.
2. Art Venue Space.
How large the gallery space is vs. the number of pieces submitted, also
vs the size of the pieces submitted. Say a gallery has room for 100
large pieces and they receive 350 pieces of large art to jury. Do the
math, that's a lot of rejected art.
3. Art Show Theme.
IF the gallery is looking for a theme and the artwork submitted doesn't
fit that theme, it has to be cut. Although the occasional gallery may not have or want to
necessarily stick to a theme for each art show, occasionally the title
of the show does dictate a "theme". It's all about the artist fully reading the call for art.
Say the show was "Summer Spotlight
on Art" and artists submit art that has snow, ice, fall colors and the
like. Although the art might be scrumptious, the time of year along with
'what might sell best at this show' would mean that these pieces may do
better if submitted for a fall or winter seasonal show. Again, look at
Number 2, something has to go.
If
a theme is stated, your artwork submitted should obviously fit that
theme. If no theme is stated, run with whatever YOU DO BEST. If the art
show is called something like Best of the Region, obviously they want
the absolute best artwork representing the artists from around that
area.
4. Best of the Best vs Diversity.
I can speak for PWAS and the shows we have juried on this topic, we always strive for the BEST of the art submitted. We want the highest quality of
art from Prince William County artists for every show we have juried.
That takes precedence. We realize that some artists only do abstracts,
some only do large works, some artists do photography, and others do
realism. We compare an artist's submissions against other pieces that
same artist submitted (often taking the best out of that artist's
entries) as well as the entire shows submissions.
There
are galleries that are all about featuring every style of visual art
known to man, perhaps to appeal to the diversity of potential gallery
visitors. And in essence, there is nothing wrong with that. Again, gallery space
over the number of pieces submitted means cutting out some great art.
5. Being Fair.
Although I was on the Jury Committee for that previous gallery back then, I do like to
think we were being fair in our selections. We voted on pieces and we
did try to be inclusive. We each have our own opinions about what we
like and do not like in art and this is true for any jurist or jury
committee at any gallery. I believe that a committee vote works better
than a single person selecting work for a show. Our committee members
are objective in their decisions, seeking the quality of the artwork
submitted as our priority. A single jurist may or may not be as
objective - I've seen it at some galleries as you probably have.
Consider
this, what if the juror dislikes the color pink and your artwork is all
about flavors of magenta. Oh dear artist of the pink painted perusal of
pandas, your art may be at risk on the proverbial cutting room floor....I've heard some of our artists that like to research the potential juror to know in advance their likes and dislikes.
6. A Single Juror Made the Decision.
I'm sure all of us have entered shows, paid the fee, and done the wait
game. We must remember that we are totally at the personal preferences
of whomever the juror is. I've been to art shows where I've wondered why
certain pieces were juried in and I've also looked at artworks and
thought, "when I grow up, I want to paint like that." But that is MY
view of that artwork, it wasn't the person that made the decision for
that show.
7. The Art Submissions Were THAT Good.
Perhaps all of the art submitted was so outstanding, the absolute best
artwork from so many artists that a whole new bar was hit. Things start
getting technical at that point. The art venue may even consider, "will
this sell?" (and will it sell at THAT price??).
I
do think that sometimes we get so used to getting in this show or that
show, so that when we do hit that WALL "you're artwork was not
accepted", it decks us. We might get angry, or hurt. But there really is
sometimes, just nothing we can do but put up your dukes, and get back
to painting again.
A Rejected Art Piece
I'm
going to show you an example of one of the oddities in art jurying.
This is a photograph of a piece I painted and had submitted to the
OSA Hispanic Heritage Art Celebration show that is was open from
September 21 to October 16, 2022. This piece was rejected from the Call
for Art.
Pinata by Donna Liguria, 2022 Acrylic on Canvas
Now,
why I am showing you this, is that on Saturday, September 24, at the
Occoquan Arts and Crafts Show, the Prince William Art Society (PWAS) had
a tent up with 9 artist members displaying a diverse tent of talent.
This painting was the first piece that sold in the first hour of the
show. Funny but true and others have similar stories.
And another artist that I know, she has an art piece that I've seen
accepted to various shows, and I believe it has previously won a
people's choice award - it always gets rave reviews. Then I saw it NOT
accepted to a juried show. It truly is what it is when it comes to art.
Art Crafts vs Fine Art
I do think that an understanding should be made here about the difference between fine art and craft art. See this article Difference Between Craft and Fine Art
At PWAS shows - certainly the juried shows,
we have turned away craft art. It is also worth remembering that the Gallery Committee, made up of Prince William Art Society members, needs to also
work under the guidelines of our gallery sponsors - meaning that the
artwork on display must be FINE ART of the best quality.
What is in the Artist's Control?
1. Follow the Rules, the Directions, the Process.
Proofread your submission BEFORE you submit it. You know the saying,
"Dot your 'i's and cross your 't's"? When a gallery has A LOT of artists
submitting hundreds of pieces of art, what is really unfortunate is
when an artist DID NOT FOLLOW DIRECTIONS.
Print out the directions so that it is easier for you to follow the
checklist of things to do! Highlight the important dates and info.
I've seen so many artists, both newbies and well established artists NOT read the requirements! At the 2025 Best of the Region art show we sponsored at the ARTfactory, we had to reject so many artists because they submitted artwork so much smaller than what we were asking for!
The Call for Art has the directions on it and if you don't take the time to read it, well that's on your head.
...I could stop this list at this point because that is simply where most mistakes happen...but...
With
everything on the internet, on YouTube, on this blog or elsewhere, a
simple search and doing your homework will help you understand the art
business world and its expectations. It is a business and an artist
wants to sell art as much as the gallery does. If a gallery has
requirements, it is UP TO YOU TO MEET THOSE REQUIREMENTS. Otherwise,
maybe a juried art show might not be what you should do if you can't
take rejection.
If
I come across as harsh on this, I'm not going to apologize. I've had
artwork rejected too. It happens and it probably has to you too.
Nonetheless, here are some areas where mistakes can and do happen when
submitting art to galleries to be juried:
2. Bad Photos. A bad photo will make great artwork look bad.
To
be blunt - your artwork may look great in person, but the image of it
that the jury sees - well, sucks. Actually this happens a lot and the
artist does have control over taking the photo of it. Do NOT include
background in your art photos. Take a GREAT picture and CROP out the
background. And quite frankly, because of techie things, the image may
not translate well from image to projected when the jury is doing their
thing.
3. Missing Information.
When space is limited on the art venue's walls, not following the
directions or not filling in the applicable info is too easy a way for a
juror to cut that artwork.
4. Unfinished Artwork. (This covers a lot of territory from under-drawing showing to unfinished edges.)
5. Badly Framed or Matted and Framed Artwork, or unprofessionally packaged art prints.
6. Improperly Wired Artwork. (We have received artwork with no way to hang it, whatsoever. AND it is NOT up to the gallery to fix any wiring issue your artwork may have.)
7. Not Original Artwork. (Unless you are Walt Disney, don't submit Mickey Mouse art.)
8. Incomplete,
unprofessional artist bio, especially if requested. Some galleries
request an "about the art" or inspiration statement of some sort. Juice
that baby up!
9. Submitting Only One Entry. Being able to submit the total limit of submissions, can increase your chances that something will get in.
Limiting to only one entry could be a sort of an alert that you may be a
beginner and you may be overlooked for a more aggressive entrant or
perceived as larger body of work artist.
10. Failure in Not Submitting Your Images in the Requested Format.
Also note, if asked to ATTACH the image is different than EMBEDDING the
artwork in the email. Often, although perhaps unknown to you, there are
good reasons for specific requests. When dealing with hundreds (or
more) pieces of art, each gallery has their own methods of doing things,
so proper labeling helps to clearly identify the files.
11. Failure to Submit Art on Time, to deliver art on time or failure to respond to an email for more information on time.
12. Failure to Not Submit Your Best Artwork.
13. Poorly Constructed
compositions, proportions, technical flaws. This is also known as not
executed well. (We have seen artwork where the subject matter is quite
good, but the piece's background is not. Or the human's hands are out of
proportion to the rest of the portrait.) Or seeing the original sketch
work showing through the artwork...
14. The Uniqueness of Your Art. How does your artwork stand out, what makes it so far superior to another landscape or similar subject matter?
15. Submitting the Same Pieces over and over again. (The expectation is that you are growing as an artist and have much more artwork to show.) We've seen previously submitted artwork get recognized as being previously submitted!
Your
attitude in taking rejection is under your control. You can take it as a
learning experience or you can always say, "They hate my art. My art is
no good. I hate this gallery." And throw your paint brushes across the
room (and make a mess). OR you could simply ask where you could improve
from a knowledgeable source that has the time to answer your request.
More Reading on the Art Jury Process
I
have written blog posts on this subject before, both on the Prince
William Art Society website and on this blog, which you could use the
search feature for (look to the top right --->) but I have highlighted a few links here that you may find helpful:
And
finally, I am going to add though, an artwork rejection is NEVER a
rejection of the artist. Every single person, every artist is
appreciated and valued. We all must start somewhere in our art journey.
You should ALWAYS, always, keep trying to improve, learn from your
mistakes, and enter those art spaces that will work best for your body
of work and where you are on your journey. At
the Prince William Art Society, we have considered a "workshop" or a
meeting presentation to discuss why a piece got rejected where the
artist might bring in a piece and have someone discuss possible factors.
Keep an eye out for that if we are able to get it on the schedule.
Your
blog comments are always welcome. See the small No Comments (or
Comments) link below this post to add yours. Remember though, comments
are monitored...
Update July 8, 2023:Recently,
2 PWAS friends and I paid for and entered a local Call for Art and NONE
of us got any artwork in. And if I say so myself, those 2 are even
better artists than I am! I've never seen anything of theirs that are
not great pieces of art. Nonetheless, in reading the REJECTION letter
that was sent out, the discussion was how the one juror had such a
hard time selecting out of the 255 entries that she whittled down to 55
to show. So you see, we ALL can get rejected at some point.
Update May 12, 2025:
In a recent show, it was A M A Z I N G how many artists just did not
read the dimensions. The gallery space requested that all the artwork
for the show be a specific size range. It was unreal how many artists
submitted very small artwork well under the minimum requested size. And
the juror had to whittle down 177 artwork submissions to about 60 or so.
Again, there is just no way to get everyone in the show.
This blog post was first published on thePWAS Artistry Spinblog on September 27, 2022.
_______________________________________
Author: Donna Liguria is the Blogmaster for Donna's Cave Paintings and the PWAS Artistry Spin Blog and an artist member of the Prince William Art Society (PWAS) in Woodbridge, VA. Donna specializes in acrylic paintings of landscapes, seascapes, historic locations, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com and her Donna's Esty site to shop her art.
*I LOVE reading your comments on my posts! Just remember that the blog comments are monitored so they may not appear right away.
Do you need a handmade, original painting for yourself or as a gift for a friend or family member? Yes, I do most commissions, so please contact me through this blog, on Facebook, My Website at https://DonnaLiguriaArt.com, or go to Donna Liguria Art on Etsy at https://donnaliguriaart.etsy.com to shop my available Artwork.
I'm very much enjoying this summer's morning glories in my backyard. I hope my neighbor is too because they have definitely gone over the fence to say hello to them too. I love the colors, they are fun to paint and capture on canvas so that they can be enjoyed all year!
SKU: 08V25ACG
Medium: Acrylic
Size: 12x24x1.5 Gallery Wrapped Stretched Canvas
Edition Year: 2025
Framed?: No
What Brought About this Painting?
A painting by Donna Liguria of morning glories growing and twinning up a fence. The flowers are in various colors of pink, white, lilac, purple, magenta, and blue.
The painting isn't quite done yet but he's getting pretty close. I have several artworks in my studio at the moment in Tweak-mode. So I should be having a glorious varnishing day soon. Are you a fan of morning glories too? What flowers do you like?
_______________________________________
Author: Donna Liguria is the Blogmaster for Donna's Cave Paintings and the PWAS Artistry Spin Blog and an artist member of the Prince William Art Society (PWAS) in Woodbridge, VA. Donna specializes in acrylic paintings of landscapes, seascapes, historic locations, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com and her Donna's Esty site to shop her art.
*I LOVE reading your comments on my posts! Just remember that the blog comments are monitored so they may not appear right away. Follow my blog too!
Do you need a handmade, original painting for yourself or as a gift for a friend or family member? Yes, I do most commissions, so please contact me through this blog, on Facebook, My Website at https://DonnaLiguriaArt.com, or go to Donna Liguria Art on Etsy at https://donnaliguriaart.etsy.com to shop my available Artwork.
Saturday, August 16, 2025. The "Layers" Art Show at the Falls Church Arts Gallery at 700-B West Broad Street, Falls Church, VA opened with the artist reception and about 67 artists and artworks. The show runs from August 16 to September 28, 2025 and includes all media and is described as 'works that contain multiple layers'. The Juror was Tricia Ratliff.
Art Reception
Sandra McClelland Lewin and I had both entered artworks that were selected to show, so off to the reception we went.
The Falls Church Art Gallery reception was well attended and we saw several of our art friends and/or their artwork. It's always fun interacting with our fellow artists, and we voted for our favorite work too. We'll see how that turns out.
See the gallery online at Fall Church Arts and check out the pictures below.
The Juror's Choice Award was given to "Mourning" by Jenny Newberry and is the extreme left in this photograph above.
Juror Tricia Ratliff (in red)
Art by Donna Liguria
My painting called "Stormy Seas" which is 16x40x1.5 on gallery wrapped canvas.
Art by Sandra McClelland Lewin
Sandra's painting "Egret in Flight" was mentioned by the juror for consideration as one of the show's juror favorites.
So many art shows to enter! The calls for art are coming in hot and heavy, so back to the easel I go, apply, apply, apply!
_______________________________________
Author: Donna Liguria is the Blogmaster for Donna's Cave Paintings and the PWAS Artistry Spin Blog and an artist member of the Prince William Art Society (PWAS) in Woodbridge, VA. Donna specializes in acrylic paintings of landscapes, seascapes, historic locations, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com and her Donna's Esty site to shop her art.
Photography by Donna Liguria and Sandra Lewin took the one of me.
*I LOVE reading your comments on my posts! Just remember that the blog comments are monitored so they may not appear right away. Follow and share my blog too!
Do you need a handmade, original painting for yourself or as a gift for a friend or family member? Yes, I do most commissions, so please contact me through this blog, on Facebook, My Website at https://DonnaLiguriaArt.com, or go to Donna Liguria Art on Etsy at https://donnaliguriaart.etsy.com to shop my available Artwork.
This
post looks at the what the plein air artist might want to pack for a
painting session in the great out-of-doors. Depending on what the medium
the artist desires to work in, such as oils, acrylics, pastels or
watercolors, these lists will show how the supply list might vary and
we'll give some options to consider when you are heading out for a plein
air painting session.
What's in Your Checklist?
By
the look of the lists below it may not seem to be the KISS method (Keep
it Simple Silly) but that is honestly what you do need to do for plein
air painting. An artist will figure out rather quickly what they think
they might need as opposed to what they actually must have before AND
most assuredly after they go out.
Your actual checklist of art supplies needed for plein air painting will also be based on other variables like:
Will your car be parked nearby?
Distance to walk and current conditions on the ground like rocky, hilly, wet, dry, arid, snowy, etc.
How heavy your fully loaded art supply carrier will be.
If flying to your destination, check those further restrictions
You'll only need to carry what you will actually use and what is necessary for the particular medium you will be working in.
David Dillon, a member of PWAS and the Plein Air Posse painting at the Bluebell Festival on April 7, 2024 in Nokesville, VA
At one of the Prince William Art Society meetings in 2023,
(PWAS), we had guest speaker, Marni Maree telling the story of her
adventures in traveling and plein air painting. She showed us examples
set out down the table, from left to right of her various art supplies
and equipment as she lived and traveled, packed and repacked her art
supplies for her outings. The funniest part of the whole presentation
was how the art supply list and equipment downsized - tremendously- down
the table, AKA, got smaller and smaller. Less weight, more compact, and
then NOT packed.
Now,
let's explore the options of real need in what you must pack, some good
choices, and how the plein air backpack may vary depending on the art
medium the artist might use.
Traveling Light but Protected
Before
the artist goes lugging his whole art studio across a field or up a
mountain, at least a little bit of research and some prepurchasing might
be needed to make life out in nature while capturing its beauty a
little less stressful, sweaty, or leaving you feeling like you just
wrestled an alligator the next day.
Hat - a good one with a wide brim
Clamp-on
Umbrella that is flexible, attaches well to your chair or easel, and is
tiltable. Hopefully a sturdy enough one and large enough to protect you
from the sun, and your painting too. Here are some options:
Wondershade on Amazon
Dick's Sporting Goods - small umbrella for $9.99 (suggested by David Dillon)
Best Brella
ShadeBuddy
Sunscreen, Advil, Bug Spray
Pepper Spray - unfriendly animals or people
Whistle, Binoculars, Compass - just how far are you out there wandering?
Plein Air Painting Basic Supplies
Plein
air painting does call for some purchases that you may not already
have. Selections will need to be made based on budget, your medium(s),
your style of painting, perhaps even where you think you will be
painting.
A Backpack
- can also be used as an easel weight, so the bungee cords may come in
handy. Select a large enough BP to handle the bulk of your supplies.
Consider one with a "cooler" section for beverages/ snacks, or a way to
hang your drinking water bottle from the pack.
A Portable/Collapsible Easel/Tripod. A lightweight field easel, pochade
box or simply a sketch clipboard may be all you need, depending on if
your medium is oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastel, or other medium or if
you are doing a sketch or using color pencils, etc. Painting outside is often on uneven surfaces so versatility is important.
Easel Suggestions:
Pochade
Box - a small paint box mounted on a tripod, often used by oil
painters, used for painting on location. Pochade means "a rough or
quickly executed sketch or study".
Field
Easel - or plein air 3-legged easel, is a portable, lightweight, and
easy to store easel of mid to small size, and is often collapsible,
foldable, or has telescopic legs. They are meant and built for the open
air studio with the intention of easy setup and take down. Check out any
pros and cons when researching for your needs.
French
Easel - full or half-box and the old rules apply. You get what you pay
for. It is a type of field easel with a box for storing art supplies, a
handle or straps for carrying.
Packing for Plein Air Painting (best easels and air travel tips)
Robert Dew, a member of PWAS and the Plein Air Posse painting at the Bluebell Festival on April 7, 2024 in Nokesville, VA
Folding Chair or Stool
- up to the artist's needs here and whether they are more comfortable
standing or sitting to paint, or do both. A compact collapsible,
lightweight portable chair is very necessary in my opinion.
Chair Suggestions:
ArtComber Portable Rolling Chair - has built in storage, front wheels and folds into a chair.
Camp Stool - there are lots of options out there, along with bags to hold them, and sometimes accessories to consider.
Essential Art Supply Items
- No matter the medium, choose to bring only the colors, brushes,
palette, or any appropriate mixing solutions absolutely essential for
the project, or to get the artwork started. Some artists can complete a
painting quickly, others will finish in studio. Smaller sized tubes,
containers etc will lighten the load - obviously.
Think
ahead and adjust the colors you take to what you will be painting that
day. As David Dillon suggested, if you're painting at the ocean, your
pallet may be more blues; if in the woods, your pallet may have more
greens and browns. A cityscape or street view may be more colorful. Many
PA artists have mini palette packs ready to grab and go depending on
beach, woods, or wherever.
It
is recommended to always use artist-grade paint and not student-grade,
so always purchase the best that your budget will allow.
Supply Suggestions:
Mini Palette Cups - clip on cups of stainless steel
Mini Brush Washer - stainless steel
Brush Holder for the tripod
Collapsible water holders
Sketchbook
- many artists sketch first to decide composition and colors. Consider
your medium you are using and what you might need your sketchbook to
handle. Watercolor paper, mixed media paper, etc.
Pencils, Graphite Pencil, Markers, Waterproof Pen with Black Ink, Watersoluble Pencils - any of your selections here would go in a zippered bag with waterproof lining like a toiletries bag. Also include Pencil Sharpener, Eraser.
Supports, Your Painting Surface -
Your choice in painting surfaces is yours to make as well as the size
of the surface. If you paint on a gessoed canvas or gessoed panels, its
suggested to use a surface the sun doesn't shine through. Papers will
need to be secured or your drawing of 'down by the river' may end up
floating down the river.
Common
sizes in plein air is 6x8 or up to 12x16. As the light changes on you,
there will probably not be time to complete a larger surface, but you do
you.
Your Cell Phone/Camera - Take
reference photos of your subject with the time of day your main concern
to capture the lighting the way you want to paint it. The light will change on you - in seconds! While
some artists can knock out a plein air painting quickly and can capture
the essence of the subject, others will finish up the painting later
with their reference photos.
Be Prepared
- in case of changes in the weather, heat, cold, rain, whatever. Also,
if its quite breezy, think how your artwork can be anchored down to
keep from being air borne.
Clothing - Dressing
in layers is a great
idea for those "iffy" days so that dressing up or down will help you
stay cooler or warmer as needed and a raincoat, poncho, or a windbreaker
may be a
consideration as well. Pants are recommended (look at cargo pants too
because of all the pockets), as well as dressing in neutral colored
clothing as white and bright colors can reflect onto your painting.
If you read the link in the above story about Marni Maree, you may also consider a vest with multi pockets.
Guest
Speaker, Marni Maree at a Prince William Art Society meeting discussing
art supply packing for plein air and traveling options
Shoes/Boots
- be prepared for the right footwear whether hiking, mudding, or
sitting in a location with a variety of creepy crawlies. And when mud
boots are recommended like at the Bluebell Festival, wear the boots.
Bluebells LOVE and grow in mud. Closed-toe shoes are suggested as well.
And for the Ladies: Remember hair ties or clips and lip balm! Also, see the options list at the end. Tissues might be good too.
Seasonal: Paint
in all seasons - and do push yourself to include all weather
conditions! To truly appreciate the differences in lighting, colors,
contrasts and more, it helps to practice and gain that experience. The
best time of day to paint outside because of the lighting is early
morning or late afternoon. The light of a sunrise or a sunset are of
course, much more dramatic.
SHADE
is imperative in the heat. See a great potential scene for a painting
but there's no shade, snap a picture and paint that one in the AC.
Cooling towels are another option when in the heat. And drop your hat
under the water for a soak too.
Water
for clean up, water for you. Collapsible containers may work there too. Nonetheless, especially in the heat, DRINK WATER OFTEN, whether thirsty or not.
Food
- Is it still plein air painting in a McDonald's parking lot? You'll
need to have some easy to consume food and/or snacks too. Think granola
bars and fresh fruit, which are good options for your energy levels. Or
you may need a cooler to handle your munchies. Just remember, CLEAN UP
AFTER YOURSELF!!
Paper Towels, blue shop towels, or rags for cleanup, plus some plastic trash bags including a large bag in case of an emergency rain-shield.
Doren Dauer,a
member of PWAS and the Plein Air Posse painting at the Bluebell
Festival on April 7, 2024 in Nokesville, VA. Photo by Tom Payne, PWAS
Member at Large
Acrylic Plein Air Painting Tool Kit
Plein
air painting supplies for various mediums have many of the same tools
and some big differences as well. As we all know, the beauty of acrylic
paint is that it dries quickly. When plein air painting with acrylics on
hot sunny days, consider being in the shade and out of the wind as best
you can to prevent your paints from drying out on you. Other painters
suggest a smaller canvas, painting quickly and leaving your brushes in
the water when not in use.
Acrylic Paints
Titanium
White, Cadmium Yellow Lemon, Cadmium Yellow Medium, Cadmium Red Light,
Quinacridone Rose, Permanent Madder Lake, Ultramarine Blue, Turquoise,
Burnt Sienna, Raw Sienna
Golden Open Acrylics offer a slower drying paints.
Sta-Wet Palette
Plastic Sorting Container
Palette Paper or Water Palette
Acrylic Paint Brushes
At least 5 sizes; rounds, flats and filberts in sized #2-10
Soft synthetic bristle brushes may work best
Surfaces like Canvas Panels, Wood Panels, or Sintra Panels (wiped down with isoprophyl alcohol)
Retarder
Golden Acrylic Glazing Liquid to extend drying time
Atelier Interactives dry a bit slower
1-2 Palette Knives
Brush Carrier - roll or tube
Wet
Paint/Canvas Carrier - if you apply paint on the thick side, drying
time may extend some, nonetheless, a carrier can protect the painting
while traveling.
Water
Container(s), Brush Washing Container - I'm a 3 water container person
myself: 1. with soapy water for cleaning, 2. with clean water for
rinsing, and 3. with clean water for dipping brush and mixing. So
Containers are needed for your style here too.
Small spray bottle of water - to mist your paints and/or surface
Fill 3:1 mixture of water and Open Thinner
Sponge(s)
Plastic zip lock bags
Mechanical Pencil, Eraser
Scraps of aluminum foil to cover main paint blobs on your palette
Jeff Holman,a
member of PWAS and the Plein Air Posse painting at the Bluebell
Festival on April 7, 2024 in Nokesville, VA. Photo by Tom Payne, PWAS
Member at Large
Oil Painting Plein Air Painting Tool Kit
The
Alla Prima painting approach is a direct completion of the painting all
in one sitting. This could very well be a different way to paint for
many artists in their studios that work at a painting over days or even
weeks, painting and building layers. And realizing that your work will
NOT be dry when you are done for the plein air painting day means a
special way to carry the piece home to protect it is essential.
There are now water-based oils so some of the essentials will change.
Oil Paints
Limited palette suggestions for oil painting is Cadmium Red Light, Yellow Ochre, Ivory Black (for Blue), and Titanium White
Jess Kodad, a
member of PWAS and the Plein Air Posse painting at the Bluebell
Festival on April 7, 2024 in Nokesville, VA. Photo by Tom Payne, PWAS
Member at Large
Watercolor Plein Air Painting Tool Kit
Many
an artist consider watercolor painting outdoors as the easiest to work
with, the supplies aren't as many, the drying time is quick, and other
notable items in the PRO column.
Watercolor Paints
Watercolor Paint Brushes
Water Brush Pens
Watercolor Pencils, Pencil Sharpener
Brush Carrier
Wet Paint/Canvas Carrier/Protection for the surface
Water Container, Spray Bottle
Brush Washing Container
Lap Clip Board
Masking Tape, Mechanical Pencil Eraser
Sketch Paper, Watercolor Paper Pad and/or Notecards
If
you are painting on stretched canvas, consider a piece of cardboard to
put behind it to prevent the sun from shining through it.
Retractable brushes
Swiss
Army Knife, a few tools like a wrench, screwdriver, good glue. Regular
maintenance on your plein air equipment is needed to keep it all in good
condition.
Mahl Stick or Retractable Back Scratcher - to keep your shirt sleeves and palms above the paint surface and not in the paint.
Empty bottle for pouring dirty paint water in for disposal at home.
Sponge Brush for dusting, blending and softening edges
Cotton Swabs, Toothbrush, Stim-U-Dents - various textures and marks.
Brass Window Washer Squee-Gee - mark making tool for edges.
Bluetooth Speaker (maybe birds tweeting aren't your thing?...)
Vice Grips or Nut Cracker for opening stubborn tubes.
Stand
Up and Pee for Women - I'll let you look up this one. Or just do what
they do in Times Square for New Year's Eve and wear diapers/Depends.
Small pack of Wet Ones or Soil Love
Small rug, old table cloth to stand on in wet grass, snow or ice or a yoga mat
Bungee Cords, at least 4 Binder Clips, Carabiner Clips, Magnets
Directions, entrance fee, gate codes, where to park/not park
AND
bring your business cards. I saw it at the Bluebell Festival where
someone walking by wanted to buy the painting right off the easel of one
of the PWAS artists!
Be
aware though that depending on WHERE you are painting if there are any
"sales" type of restrictions and permission agreements, which is a
possibility in some public spaces.
Additionally,
there are indeed lists of supplies and tips out there if you are flying
and what you can or cannot pack, so be aware of what is allowed. Further Suggested Reading: Be sure and check out this article and all the comments, because previous readers dropped some great tips too https://www.outdoorpainter.com/plein-air-art-supplies-painting-outdoors/ Just remember, whatever you pack, you have to transport it there and back again. I do believe that one thing we all learn rather quickly is what you will not be using and can leave home the next time OR at a minimum, leave it in the car for a just-in-case scenario.
Off the Beaten Path
Depending
on where you are painting and who you are painting with - solo or with a
group of painters, or perhaps along a trail with curious passersby, you
will probably be interrupted at some point. The distractions are
potentially all in a days palette, so embrace the day - even if you are
trying this different painting style of quickly applying your brush and
capturing that exact light essence before its gone. Perhaps move off the
path a ways to stay out of any major traffic flow when its safe to do
so.
Its
good for ALL of us to be out in the open air, its good for our health
and feeds the soul - I think even more especially, the creative ones.
Do you have any supplies not listed here, suggestions, tips or advice?
This article was first published on the PWAS Artistry Spin blog by Donna Liguria on May 16, 2024
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Author: Donna Liguria is the Blogmaster for Donna's Cave Paintings and the PWAS Artistry Spin Blog and an artist member of the Prince William Art Society (PWAS) in Woodbridge, VA. Donna specializes in acrylic paintings of landscapes, seascapes, historic locations, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com and her Donna's Esty site to shop her art.
*I LOVE reading your comments on my posts! Just remember that the blog comments are monitored so they may not appear right away.
Do you need a handmade, original painting for yourself or as a gift for a friend or family member? Yes, I do most commissions, so please contact me through this blog, on Facebook, My Website at https://DonnaLiguriaArt.com, or go to Donna Liguria Art on Etsy at https://donnaliguriaart.etsy.com to shop my available Artwork.
Wow. What can an artist say when their artwork is on the cover of their local arts magazine? The Prince William County Arts Magazine is published bimonthly by the Prince William County Arts Council (PWCAC) and includes photos and stories, events and news about all of the arts across the county. A big thankyou is what I say!
Prince William County Arts Magazine Summer 2025
A Capital Summer on the Cover
How cool is it to look at a cover and think "Hey, that's MY art!" And I'm on the inside too!
Pages 26-27 in the Magazine includes "Sunrise at the Historic Manassas Train Station", "Lighthouse and Shackleford Island NC Pony", "No One Teaches Riding So Well As A Horse", and "A Capital Summer"
My fellow PWAS member artist friends Kelly Haneklau and Staci Blanchard are included in the magazine as well....and wait, we were all just in my blog post on Pink Ladies too!
Original photo of Donna Liguria's "A Capital Summer" (sold)
I have an art client that has commissioned all four of the paintings of my Washington DC 4 Seasons painting series. I don't think the series started off as a plan exactly, but after my client first asked about the Washington Monument with the Cherry Blossoms in the spring, a second artwork featuring DC sites in the various other seasons soon followed by the same client.
I let my client know that "A Capital Summer" is on the cover of the magazine and he stated, "Wow, congrats! I feel famous by extension :) Thanks for sharing!"
I have giclee fine art prints available of the whole series or sold individually on my Etsy pages if you are interested - or perhaps as a gift.
Author: Donna Liguria is the Blogmaster for Donna's Cave Paintings and the PWAS Artistry Spin Blog and an artist member of the Prince William Art Society (PWAS) in Woodbridge, VA. Donna specializes in acrylic paintings of landscapes, seascapes, historic locations, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com and her Donna's Esty site to shop her art.
*I LOVE reading your comments on my posts! Just remember that the blog comments are monitored so they may not appear right away.
Do you need a handmade, original painting for yourself or as a gift for a friend or family member? Yes, I do most commissions, so please contact me through this blog, on Facebook, My Website at https://DonnaLiguriaArt.com, or go to Donna Liguria Art on Etsy at https://donnaliguriaart.etsy.com to shop my available Artwork.
