Morning Fog at Shark16x20 PLEIN AIR PAINTING |
This piece was almost the death of me! During this one year, I had a real bad case of vertigo...pinched nerves in my neck. Well, I started this piece, at a spot that would reflect the sky in the wet sand. It was foggy. It was great painting, with constant light! Then the sun came out! Not only making me be creative with this piece, but now I had to turn my pochade box into the sun, with my back to this scene...forcing me to look over my shoulder for the balance of the painting! Physically, I thought I was going to die.
But even more challenging, was the constantly moving waves! Never breaking the same...shapes, colors, values, edges ,endings and beginnings, each to themselves, and then to the one next to it.
May look simple.
Reminds me of a quote I heard years ago:
A professional is someone who makes something that is very difficult,
look very easy.
All of the plein air paintings in this section were created between 1986 and 1996, during the annual Plein Air Painters of America Show.
In 1985, Denise approached me while at a show in Scottsdale Arizona, asking me to join a group she was putting together. At the time, there was maybe 12 or so of us, but over the years other artists were
invited to join PAPA. Many artists in the U.S., who paint "en plein air," really owe a debt of gratitude to Denise for her great vision, and starting the ball to roll, to help "rediscover" plein
air painting!
This was also accomplished by 10 years of national advertising in 3 to 4
major art publications, which Billups was the sole advertising chairman, setting up all ads in all
publications for those initial 10 years.
Today the membership includes such artists as Ken Auster, Christopher Blossom, Bye
Bitney, Scott Burdick, Gil Dellinger, Gay Faulkenberry, Joseph Paquet, Ray
Roberts, Matt Smith, Kevin Macpherson and Skip Whitcomb, to name a few.
The rest is history.
Website: http://www.billupsfineart.com - Sitemap - Email - Phone: (208) 263-1117
All Text and Images Copyright Betty Jean Billups. All Rights Reserved.
Address: P.O. Box 102, Sandpoint, ID 83864