"Last Light On Elk River" 24" x 18" Oil on canvas "Last Light On Elk River-Study" 10" x 8" Oil on canvas
Copyright Jake Gaedtke, 2011
The Rocky Mountain Plein Air Painters have a new show that just opened this Labor Day weekend at The Steamboat Art Museum in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The name of the show is Colors of Colorado. It is a new kind of plein air show. We asked our members to participate in four separate paint outs in four separate locations throughout Colorado during the four seasons in 2010. Those locations included Ouray in the Winter, Grand Junction in the Spring, Buena Vista in the Summer and Steamboat Springs in the Fall. We asked the participating members to create one studio painting from one of the study paintings they did at one of the paint out locations. The results being this show we call Colors of Colorado where we show the field study plein air painting along side it's studio painting. Members were invited to show two other plein air paintings they did during the paint out as well. As a group we felt it is important for the public to know how we use our plein air paintings as references for our studio paintings. They aren't always an end in itself but a means to an end as well. We used to call them "field studies" before the name plein air became so popular. That's what they are.......studies.......note-taking to be used in the studio.
The painting shown here, I did in Steamboat Springs in the Fall on The Elk River. I love this river. It meanders through all kinds of cottonwood trees and aspen trees. I just finished another painting in the late afternoon when I saw the sunlight hit the cottonwood tree as it was going down. I quickly set up again and worked for about 20 minutes to capture that last bit of light. It was so fleeting, I had to do most of the painting from memory because it was gone in a matter of minutes. But I feel I got it. Copyright Jake Gaedtke, 2011
The Rocky Mountain Plein Air Painters have a new show that just opened this Labor Day weekend at The Steamboat Art Museum in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The name of the show is Colors of Colorado. It is a new kind of plein air show. We asked our members to participate in four separate paint outs in four separate locations throughout Colorado during the four seasons in 2010. Those locations included Ouray in the Winter, Grand Junction in the Spring, Buena Vista in the Summer and Steamboat Springs in the Fall. We asked the participating members to create one studio painting from one of the study paintings they did at one of the paint out locations. The results being this show we call Colors of Colorado where we show the field study plein air painting along side it's studio painting. Members were invited to show two other plein air paintings they did during the paint out as well. As a group we felt it is important for the public to know how we use our plein air paintings as references for our studio paintings. They aren't always an end in itself but a means to an end as well. We used to call them "field studies" before the name plein air became so popular. That's what they are.......studies.......note-taking to be used in the studio.
The RMPAP are honored that our show is the inaugural exhibit for the newly renovated addition to the Steamboat Art Museum. It's a real funky and exciting space. Our show looks fabulous there. Opening night was very well attended adding a lot of interest to what we do.
I might add that in the main space of the museum is an amazing exhibit of the work of Scott Christenesen. An inspiring show that includes some of his very large work as well as studies and everything in between. The two shows combined makes this a very worthwhile trip to see.
Both shows run through October 15, 2011.
