Plein Air Painting in the Woods, "Waiting For Teddie"

This blog shows how I create a painting "en plein air" out in the forest.  Kendra and I are heading out on the trail to a spot a good mile back on the ridge with a gorgeous view.

The pochade and tripod are set up and ready to go.  I lay out my palette back in the studio before heading out on the trail.  I try to put out as much paint as I think I will need. I start with a panel that has been tinted with a Naphthol Crimson Red.

I lay out the initial sketch using a small brush dipped in Cold Pressed Linseed oil and picking up a mix of transparent magenta and cerulean blue. 

Next, using the palette knives, I lay in blocks of color and values.

The painting progresses. I usually block in the sky near the end of the painting.

I know this photo is hideous and I only include it to show that I was finishing the painting at dusk, as it was getting quite dark.  Before I started packing up, a coyote very nearby started to howl and scream and it was most unnerving!  I was sure glad I had Kendra with me.  She started to bark at the coyote and it must have moved away because I didn't hear it again.  I walked home a mile in the dark using my headlight flashlight to light the trail.

The finished painting is an oil on panel, 12" x 24".  I named it "Waiting for Teddie" because this is a place on the trail we would stop and wait for my old dog, Teddie, during the last two years of his life, to give him a chance to catch up with us before moving on.  He moved slower and slower towards the end of his life but he always wanted to go with us out into the woods.  I still often stop here and sometimes I think I see him in the distance catching up with us on the trail.  

20 Practical Tips for Plein Air Painting in Back Country

While I have been painting my entire life, I have been painting "en plein air" since 2000, hiking deep into the forest that surrounds my home and studio.  I tend to go out for the day so these tips are for day trips.  I go out in all four seasons in all kinds of weather.  Brutal heat and snowy cold.  Here are 20 Practical Tips for Plein Air Painting in Back Country I have learned, some the hard way, in no particular order.

1. Have the proper clothing for the weather.  This can be a matter of life or death and should be considered very seriously, no matter how close to home you may be.  If painting in the snow, wear waterproof snow pants and insulated, knee high, snow boots.  An over coat suited for the temperatures goes without saying.  I remember when I first moved to Brown County and was hiking out in the forest in the deep snow, near dusk, I was so enchanted with the beauty of the fresh, sparkling snow I didn't realize until I was a good mile or two in the woods that I had lost my trail.  Everything looked totally different in the deep snow.  Trees were bent over with the heavy snow and small bushes were buried in it.  My trail was obliterated.  I also realized that my jeans were soaking wet, snow had spilled over the tops of my hiking boots and my feet were wet, I wasn't quite sure where my trail was, and it was starting to get dark.  A wave of panic swept over me.  Thankfully, I was able to drop down off the ridge and down to the creek and follow it back up to my property.  I thought I knew my trail so well, that I had become lackadaisical.  
2. Dress in layers and wear undergarments that wick away sweat.  Often, hiking out to a painting location, I start sweating and my under shirt can be soaking wet by the time I arrive at my destination even when the temperatures are below freezing.  Wearing clothing that wicks away sweat is important to staying warm and dry especially in cold weather.  You want to wick the moisture away from your body to stay warm.  Several companies make clothing that have no cotton in them with material designed to wick away moisture.  Look for the tag that specifically says the fabric is designed to wick away moisture.  While I love natural fibers, cotton is a material that retains perspiration and won't serve you well in the winter, especially.  Standing for several hours in one spot, I often get chilled especially as the day wanes and the shadows grow long.  In the fall and spring, I will usually have an extra jacket in my back pack to put on as the day cools off.  In the summer, I may tie a light jacket around my waist, just in case I need it.
3. Carry a compass along with your cell phone.  Practice using it before you need it.  Don't count on GPS.  You may not have a signal in the back country.  And GPS can be flat out wrong.  People have died counting on a GPS.  Don't make that mistake.  I have two GPSs and neither one can find my house. 
4. Study and carry maps when going into new or unfamiliar territory.  Getting turned around in the forest on the rills and ridge tops and in the valleys can be very disorienting especially if there is a cloud cover and you cannot navigate by the sun or it gets dark.  One time when I first moved out here next to Yellowwood State Forest, I was exploring out in the woods and got turned around and lost my way home.  I ended up climbing up to a ridge top to take a look around and much to my surprise, I could see my barn off in the distance, one ridge over!
5. Travel light.  Get rid of any gear you don't absolutely need.  One pound here and another there may not seem like much, but it adds up fast.  And if you are like me, a 105 pound weakling, 10-15 pounds is a lot.  Twenty pounds is way too much.  Try carrying around a 15-20 pound bag of cat food for a day. 
6. Wear a brimmed hat, NOT sunglasses.  A hat with a brim will keep the sun out of your eyes while painting.  A brimmed hat will also keep the rain off your eyeglasses if you wear them.  Sunglasses will distort and darken the colors you see.
7. Give yourself plenty of time to get back to civilization before it gets dark.  Keep track of how long it took you to get to the painting spot and how long it will take you to get back taking into consideration the terrain.  If you have an uphill climb to get home, leave extra time for that.  Pay attention to the sun.  When the shadows are starting to get long, it is time to pack up.  Since painting the sunset and dusk is one of the most beautiful times to paint and you may want to stay out until the last vestige of sunlight is gone,you should see Point 8.  There have been plenty of times I was packing up and hiking home in the dark.
8. Carry a flashlight in your pocket if you will be out in the field after dark.  The headlights are great and keep your hands free.  In the winter, I almost always carrying a flashlight and/or headlight because the days are so short and can get dark very quickly.  But, again, don't be lackadaisical no matter what the season.  Once, I got caught out in the woods in the summer in the dark.  The heavy tree cover and lack of any moonlight meant it was pitch black.  I couldn't even see my hand in front of my face.  And I was a good mile back in the woods.  I had to drop down off the trail to the creek bed and follow it along, stumbling, and when I finally got to the point where I had to go up the steep hill with a very narrow path with dropping sides, I called my dog over and hung onto his collar and told him to lead me home.  I guess he was so hungry and ready for dinner, he obliged.
9. Know your physical limits.  Don't do more than you are physically able to do.  Practice with short expeditions to test your stamina and your gear.  Work up to long treks like you are training for a marathon.
   
10. Stay in good shape.  Staying in good shape year round is the best policy.  Easier to stay in shape than try to get back into shape.  Eat good organic, raw, fresh foods and steer clear of food made in a factory.  Eat plants not food made in plants.  Exercise everyday.  
    
11. Wear Hunter Orange during the hunting season.  This is required by law during the deer season but I wear it whenever there is anything "in season" just to be safe.  If you aren't sure, wear it.  I have a variety of bright orange long and short sleeve tees, a hoodie, hats, and vests to wear no matter if it is 80 degrees or 10 degrees.  I also make sure any guest has on hunter orange.
    
12. Be alert for dangerous animals such as venomous snakes, coyotes, feral dogs, bears, and cougars.  Know the region where you will be hiking and painting.  Learn about potential, dangerous wild animals you may encounter and know how you will respond.  Most wild animals will want to move away from humans but, again, don't be lackadaisical.  I got bit by a copperhead at the edge of my driveway, on Friday the 13th, no less, and I should have been paying better attention.  I had a "Red Flash Warning" (see Tip 16.) but ignored it.  I learned later that copperheads are very aggressive and are one wild animal that does NOT move away nor does it give a warning(like the rattler).  They also have unlimited venom and a spare set of back fangs -- and they know it!  I was laid up for two months with that! 
13. Poor eyesight can be an asset but keep your glasses safe and near.  I am nearsighted and take off my glasses to paint the landscape.   Everything gets a little fuzzy and the picky details are distilled out of the scene, allowing me to see the major shapes and values and the essence of the landscape.  I carry a glasses case in my backpack to slip them in while painting to keep them safe and handy.
14. Stay alert.  I tend to go into a deep meditative, trance state when I paint on location.  Nevertheless, one must always remain vigilant on a certain level and always be aware of your surroundings.
15. Consider self protection.  My dogs go with me and go a long way to filling that "protection" role.  Everything you add to your pockets and pack weigh you down so I like to keep it light.  However, pepper spray and a cell phone are the smart things to do for safety and protection.  
16. Listen to your intuition.  If you get a bad feeling or what I call a "Red Flash Warning" pay attention and respond appropriately.  Under no circumstance ignore that "feeling".  The neat thing about intuition is that the more you use it, the more it comes to your aid.  
17. Carry a first aid pack and survival cheat sheet.  So if the worst happens, you are prepared and have a strategy.  Okay, I admit, I don't do this for day trips in familiar areas but that doesn't mean it isn't a good idea.  I have at least studied those survival cheat sheets.
18. Tell someone where you will be and when you are due back.  Especially if it is an "out of the ordinary" expedition.  I go out every day and pretty much everyone knows it so they should know where to start looking if I turn up missing.
    
19. Carry food and water appropriate to the length of the journey.  For day trips, I often eat before I head out and eat when I get back home.  I am usually too busy with hiking and painting to bother eating anyway.  A light snack may suffice.
    
20.  Keep your mind on good things. 
    Philippians 4:8  Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
    
    Happy Trails and safe painting!
    Charlene

Best of Show!

I was very honored to receive the Best of Show award in the annual Indiana Plein Air Painters Association(IPAPA) juried member show in August.  The show was held at the Art on the Main Gallery in downtown Elkhart, Indiana.  The award winning painting was selected from 111 plein air entries by 59 artists.  

Ron Monsma, the juror for the show, says the piece demonstrates “a confident handling of thick impasto with great tonality, color, and light. The artist holds the space together while at the same time revealing the abstract nature of her vision.”

"Snow in the Forest, Melting, March 7, 2015", oil on panel, copyright by Charlene Marsh, Inventory Code #030715 16x20

All the best,
Charlene

Cougar Sighting

I had the rare and exciting experience of spotting a wild cougar in Yellowwood Forest, Brown County, Indiana yesterday, March 17, St. Patrick's Day, around 7 p.m. in the evening while taking my daily walk in the woods.  I was not too far behind my property, down near the creek, finishing up my two mile circuit, when I spotted a large creature climbing up the hillside maybe 100-200 feet in front of me.  I remembered spotting it as I scanned the hills and then my eyes stopped and came back to it thinking, "What the heck is that?"  I could tell whatever it was, it was large, buff colored, with a round head, round ears, sleek fur, muscular, and with a long, slender, "rope like" tail.  The tail was the dead give away.  No way could it be a coyote.  Eureka!  My God!  It's a cougar!  Also known as a Mountain Lion!  

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources website says that the possibility of spotting one is "almost non-existent" and "remote". Seems the DNR consistently denies any cougars in Indiana despite sightings.  A neighbor about 1/4 mile to the west of my property, spotted one about 15 years ago crossing their back field so the possibility has always been on my radar.  I just never dreamed I would be so lucky as to see one in the wild in my own back woods where I paint and hike daily.

I looked up "cougar" in a book called Animal-Speak by Ted Andrews which talks about the significance of an animal totem or an animal that appears in your life. The Keynote term is "Coming into Your Own Power" with a year round "Cycle of Power".  The deer, being the favorite prey of the cougar, is another animal to study.  The deer is one of my totems so I found that relationship interesting.

Seeing a Mountain Lion in the wild will always stay with me as a very special encounter before he slipped back deeper into the forest and disappeared.  Now when I walk the woods, I scan the steep hills for the chance to spot another one.

Recent Awards:

  

I am pleased to report that I was awarded Renner First Place 2-D at the Park Forest Art Show in Park Forest, Illinois, September 20-21, 2014.  The award was for the entire body of work in my booth, not just one specific piece.  The Park Forest Art Fair is the second oldest show in the Chicagoland area in a very special community.  The organizers were wonderful and the show a pleasure to do!  Thanks Park Forest!  I am truly honored.

I am also thrilled to announce that I was awarded the Third Place Prize for the plein air, snow painting entitled, "Hazy Snowy Day, February 18, 2014" in the Juried Member Exhibition for the Indiana Plein Air Painters Association held at the Hoosier Salon Gallery, 22 Rangeline Road in Carmel, Indiana, on exhibit from November 8  through December 7, 2014, so there is still time to catch the show.  The juror, Tom Post of Cincinnati, selected 100 plein air paintings by 47 artists to be included in the exhibition.  IPAPA is one of the largest plein air organizations in the country with lots of great talent so I am humbled and honored to not only have three paintings in the exhibit but to win an award!  The reception was packed with people so it was hard to see the artwork.  I need to run up to Carmel to pick up frames sometime soon so will drop by the show again to actually see the paintings this time.

Here is the award winning painting:
"Hazy Snowy Day, February 18, 2014", oil on panel, 16" x 20", by Charlene Marsh

 

Thanksgiving and the miracle in losses.

Sometimes miracles happen when you least expect it.  Sometimes they happen and you don't even know it...until later. 

Meegy in his last hours.

I wrote this in my e-newsletter dated October 7, 2014(Scroll down for updates): 

"As you may remember from my last e-newsletter, my adult size Shetland pony(my pet term for the ponies), Amigo(Meegy) had been very ill most of the summer and, sadly, had to be euthanzied on August 29, 2014.  I wrote a blog about him here.  I ran into one of his original owners(who had purchased his mother, Missy, when she was pregnant with him) about ten days later and broke the heart wrenching news to her and we both cried standing there in the produce section of Bloomingfoods.  Another ten days later, as I was pulling out of the driveway to head to a show in Chicago, I checked the mailbox and pulled out a plastic bag full of pictures with his sweet face on top.  Thunderstruck, I started crying all over again.  I couldn't look through the packet because I was already running late and knew I could spend an hour looking at them so I tucked them in my luggage to review later, in the hotel.  Later that evening, I carefully looked through the 30 odd pictures, mostly taken when he was a baby colt, before I adopted him, and a few from a visit after I had brought both Meegy and Missy home.  I must have looked at those pictures a dozen times over the weekend and vacillated from pure joy to pure tears and back again within minutes.  I still have Missy who is now 32 and blind.  She seems a bit disoriented without Meegy to help guide her.  I have to call her several times when I head to the barn as she doesn't seem to hear me at first.  Instead of two whinnies, there is only one.  His stall in the barn is empty.  There is a big hole in my heart and his mother, Missy's, heart."

Meegy and Missy in 2010.

One Miracle
Well, there is an additional twist to the story.   The original co-owner I ran into and to whom I told about Meegy's passing is named Suzanne and I sent Suzanne a thank you note via USPS mail(yes, some of us still mail letters), thinking she had dropped off the photographs of my beloved pony after she ran into me and heard he had died.  Then, just a couple of days ago, I ran into Jane, the other original co-owner, and asked if she had heard about Meegy.  She said "yes", that Suzanne had texted her after she got my thank you note and had asked if Jane had dropped off the pictures because she, Suzanne, had not!  At first I did not understand and kept asking, "Yeah, but who told you he had died?" thinking that is why she dropped off the pictures.  

As it turns out, when Jane dropped off those pictures, she did not know Meegy had just recently died!   She had those pictures for nearly twenty years and dropped them off to me within 2-3 weeks of his death, without even knowing he was gone.  When it hit me, I cried again and so did Jane.  I marvel at the magical, perfect timing of almighty God.  Those pictures meant more to me at the time I received them than if they had come years earlier. I relished each one as I looked through them over and over, remembering all the wonderful times we shared from the time he was a baby to the time of his death. 

Another Miracle
This reminds me of another magical, synchronistic connection about twenty years ago when I used to teach oil painting at the John Waldron Art Center in Bloomington, Indiana.  I was working on updating my student roster contact information and came across the name of an older gentleman who had taken my class over a period of several years.  He had quit coming to class and I had heard he got cancer and subsequently died.  Simply tossing out his name seemed so cold and a little voice told me to send his widow a note.  

So I wrote to her about how much I enjoyed him in my class, how much I enjoyed his lovely paintings, even citing one in particular, a still life with lots of golds and blues, and about how sorry I was to hear of his passing.  I dropped the note in the mail and forgot about it.  

A week or so later, I got a note back in the mail from her telling me about the day my note arrived.  She wrote about how she woke up that morning all depressed and ready for a sad day of crying and loneliness and feeling sorry for herself. You see, that day was their Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary and the first one with him gone.  She dreaded the day without him.  Then my letter arrived.  And she said when she opened and read that letter, it turned her day around to one of absolute joy and happiness.  I tear up a little every time I think about it - what perfect timing! - and the small part I played in God's magical plan to bring happiness to another and let her know she was remembered and special. And her husband was safe in the arms of God.

May God's mercy and blessings be upon you.  We need to be grateful every day for everything we have.  At this time when we focus on Thanksgiving, let us be thankful every day for our family, our friends, our homes, our automobile, the clothes we have, the food we eat, the sun and the rain.  And all the miracles that abound around us every day.  Pay attention to God's voice and do what He says.  You will never be sorry.  And know that even when things look bleak and dire, you are special and loved by God.

R.I.P.  Amigo(Meegy) Marsh

April 28, 1995 - August 29, 2014

My beloved pony, Meegy, passed over to heaven last Friday and I am left brokenhearted. 

I first saw Meegy as a baby colt, just a few days old.  Friends had acquired his mother, Missy, who was pregnant, and they needed to find a good home for the coming baby.  Having recently lost a horse, I was open to the idea of adopting him and, when he was five months old and weaned from his momma, I brought him home.  A year later, I brought Missy, his mother, home, too.  I wondered if they would remember each other and when she was unloaded into the pasture, the first thing he tried to do was nurse!   So funny seeing this full grown horse trying to nurse from his mother.  And she would have none of it!  

Both ponies were the Ponies of America (POA) breed, bred from Shetlands, Appaloosas, Arabians, Welsh ponies, and any other small horse or pony with a pleasant disposition.  Meggy's daddy was a mustang.  The POA breed was defined by the markings and size and evolved into a good natured horse safe for children.  I call them my "adult size Shetland ponies" and they were the absolute perfect size for me.  Not too big and not too small.  They are easy to train and easy to be around. 

Having never trained a horse before, I was diligent about studying various training techniques, taking seminars, and working with him regularly doing lots of ground work for the first two years until he was old enough to start training under saddle.  I primarily used John Lyons gentle, round pen techniques and Linda Tellington Jones' TTouch techniques.  There was no "breaking him to ride" but, rather, "starting him to ride".  And he loved every minute!

I was most interested in trail riding since I live next door to Yellowwood State Forest that is laced with miles and miles of horse trails.  I could ride out the front gate and hit the trails without trailering the horses anywhere.  With both Missy(who was already well trained) and Meegy, I had two wonderful, gentle, trail horses and spent many days riding with neighbors and family.  Every weekend and often on Wednesdays(it was addictive), I would be in the woods with the horses riding fifteen mile long trails before heading home.  This was one of the happiest times of my life.

Sadly, Meegy was diagnosed with Cushings a few years ago and developed laminitis.  This latest bout just got worse and worse and it became clear he was in big trouble.  My farrier, Darin Griffith, came out around noon and called a relatively new vet(five years out of school), Dr. Grant Minnemeyer, who could come out that day.  I was very impressed with him.  Despite having consulted three vets prior, Grant was the first to do a thorough, hands on exam of my pony.  He was calm, compassionate, and explained everything carefully and patiently.

Missy, who is now 32 and blind, kept watch over her son and the last day she would wander over and check on him periodically.  Then, when the vet was ready to give him the final shot, Missy came over and put her muzzle down to Meegy's muzzle while I held his head and he took his final breath.  Missy was with him when he took his first breath and she was with him when he took his last breath.  I marvel at her uncanny intuition to know exactly when the final moments were unfolding and walk over to be with him.  Animals are absolutely amazing and we can learn a lot from them. 

Missy, too, is starting to show signs of Cushings and I have put her on a special medication to, hopefully, mitigate the symptoms.  She is getting lots of extra attention to help her adjust to being a solo horse.  There are a couple cats down at the barn so they can keep her company, too.  Still, the emptiness is painful.  Instead of two whinnies greeting me in the morning, there is only one.  And one empty stall where Meeg would get his meals and stand patiently to have his hooves trimmed, sans halter.

My neighbor, Bob Woods, came out immediately after the vet left to dig a grave and bury my boy.  Bob just turned 82 today (Happy Birthday, Bob!) and is an amazing man.  He did the foundation for my house back on 2000 and has done some other excavating jobs for me through the years.  I remember one time he said he would not be able to make it on a certain appointed day because he had to dig a grave.  Digging graves were always the top priority because "they can't wait any longer".  And sure enough, he came out right away after the vet left (I had given him a heads up earlier in the day after my farrier left) and finished the job just as the sun was dropping below the horizon.  He told me he has had people call him at midnight and he gets up and goes.  It is something that simply must be done immediately.  

I marveled he was still working at age 82 and he said that he had noticed that a lot of guys he graduated with from the local Brown County High School would work someplace 25, 30, 40 years and then retire and do nothing.  He said he noticed that it wouldn't be too long before he was digging their grave!  He said he figures he still enjoys what he is doing so why not keep working.  He has cut back and slowed down but he still gets out there and I see him in his trucks, out and about, all the time.  I know I am very grateful he continues working and serving his neighbors who need him.  

In the end, I am very grateful to everyone who helped me through this difficult time.  I am grateful to those who helped with Meegy directly and those who helped with their thoughts and prayers.  Saying goodbye to a dear, beloved animal is never easy but being surrounded by good people makes it a bit easier.  Thank you to everyone.