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THE PLEIN AIR CONNECTION NEWSLETTER January 20th, 2014


"Silver Sunset, Monhegan Island" an oil on linen 21.5 x 29 inches by Michael E. Vermette

Once again we had an enriching conversation and visual sharing of various reproductions from books we had brought in from our personal collections of the old masters and their drawings, referred to in Robert Henri's book, "The Art Spirit". It was a wonderful way to start out our discussion. We would read sections of the book like on page 110 when Henri writes, " In this Rembrandt drawing we see people in a tavern. Among them is an imposing client. Note the way the lines force our understanding of his pompous authority. How different each one present carries himself. In the whole composition there is unity of line and there is a unity of group, time and place, but each personage is an identity in himself. Variety within unity." We would then find the drawing in my large Rembrandt folio book to directly see what Henri was eluding to when he spoke of variety within unity. It was very helpful as we pursued images based on comments through the books the group had brought in including Manet, Degas, Hopper and even John Marin. We brought in two extra tables into the coffee shop opening the books up to color plates as we read aloud the text from The Art Spirit book, and then stopped to make comments on their work. This worked well an so we decided to continue to include into our future group discussions books with reproductions because we found it so very helpful visually. 

We then moved on to discussing the section between "A Sketch" p. 126 and "My People" p. 143. We talked about beauty being a "sense" of the things around us that only last for a moment in time and are the good-humored love of the people and things that spring forth spontaneously as a love song around us. And that, without it, painting would be relegated to a bitter activity of painful duty. Are paintings without love witless, labored, and ill at ease? We thought that Henri was referring to a love of the subject's nature not painting only loving subjects. Many paintings can be horrible, grotesque, born out of the need to get the picture out of our system. For example, I shared about a watercolor painting I did of a guide at Katahdin Lake skinning a black bear. It won a Best In Show award at a Bangor Art Society Open juried show a few years back. I found out that the judges made up their mind that they were either going to have to give the painting the top prize or reject the painting from the show altogether due to the subject matter. But I think what Henri is talking about here is the beautiful nature in my painting of how right the guide is portrayed and how at ease the character is skinning the bear in the autumn sunlight. It's as much about the character of the person portrayed as it is about the  unfortunate bear. Not a matter of skill in technical proficiency but a matter of what I took out of the "shock" of the raw nature of the event I witnessed. There was a beauty in painting the experience as if painting a crucifixion, for the bear is my wife's native clan animal of whom we both have great respect and would never hunt.

We talked about our motives for painting a picture and how it can't simply be for the purpose of winning awards or to be on someone's honor list. I recently won an "Outstanding Watercolor" award for "Tying the scallop Dredge, Southwest Harbor, Maine" from the BoldBrush December 2013 online painting competition that is sponsor by my web site host FASO (Fine Art Studio Online).  
My award package has an estimated value of $500 including A full feature in Informed Collector (that goes to 10,000 people) and my artwork featured on this website indefinitely in winner archives. And even with all these accolades I have received over the years I have decide that I will paint even if I never win another award. Henri speaks of Thomas Eakins as one of the very great men in all American art, but who died practically unknown receiving only an "honor" or two. That art is more about what Henri admits has gone on in our own country for centuries in valuable and amazing Native American art that reminds us that our expressions must be pure, not imitation or related to the more ancient art that existed beyond the Pacific.

We are in error if we think that the subject is simply the object painted in a picture. Henri advises us that when we paint a figure in the landscape we should paint the person's feet as though they were gripping the ground, paint the wagon to express its carrying power, and use color not for color and light's sake but paint them as a means of expression. And when we lead the eye to the point of interest in our compositions, let us lead the viewer to a place that is inescapable; a place where there is something so interesting and unexpected the he will not want to turn from the experience.

We found a lot of content in the section entitled: Letter 1916. Here Henri speaks to the role of the modern-day collector. That they have their part to play in the development and progress of art in our time and place.  Present day collectors  can enter into a full support of a struggling and searching artist by purchasing their works. They could enter into the same risks as the artist do by taking a chance in the judgement of works like the artists themselves do. Because in the end only the good works will survive anyway and be known; the bad art will pass; but the collector will have lived.  This is true because the collector who needs to purchase the art as much as the painter needed to paint it has a heart-felt connection with the work that they relating too.  These are the best collectors and patrons.

We discussed the idea that there is an order perceived by the artist with a creative spirit and that it comes about when one expresses oneself and thus naturally follows "organic law." This spiritual order has power to make a painter more energized than when first starting to paint. This happens to me when teaching an art class. I plan and make a concerted effort for orderly and relative artistic ideas to flow only to find that the fatigue and worry goes away and that I am in better physical and physiological condition by the end of the class than when I first began. Henri explains it this way," ...order begets order, and the healthy state of mind and body exists. Robert Henri p.133." The paradox is that there is  more than one way to find rest and recuperation. Resting by not doing anything is actually more fatiguing than being involved in the orderly creative activity. I have observed that artists who Sit on a porch on Mohegan Island in the summer for a week, sipping their wine while looking out at all the beauty, not painting and waiting for inspiration, seem actually more stressed and fatigued than those who actually get out there and begin. Why, because to study by making art is to study its order and the relative value and fundamental principles found in nature. It is more of the study of the inside of nature not the outside surface value that evokes justice, simplicity and most of all good health. This energizing power is even present when the artist investigates materials used for quality and durability. An artist may not be a chemist or scientist, but will spend many hours discussing and researching a technique that interests him. 

We moved on and talked about our artistic motive and how without it painting would be a "difficult jugglery" as Henri states. Painting must be an act of simplicity that should never look labored or made in difficulty. The finer the artist's motive, the narrower the scope, the more relevant the artist's vision really is and the more selective will be the choice of conditions and materials. That is why some of us will search seemly forever for a subject on location and bring the highest quality materials we can to paint with. We are searching for relevance in our artistic vision. Listen to how Henri describes it in one of my favorite quotes:

"Each man must take the material that he finds at hand, see that in it there are the big truths of life, the fundamental big forces, and then express in his art whatever is the cause of his pleasure. It is not so much the actual place or the immediate environment; it is personal greatness and personal freedom which demands a final right art expression. A man must be master of himself and master of his word to achieve the full realization of himself as an artist." - Robert Henri p 136 The Art Spirit

The mother of invention is as true for art as it is in science. We should be less concerned about " if what we paint is art or not" and care more about our personal statement of "what it is we find important to put into permanent expression." We are only successful  as painters if we are inventive and realize that what we do is as much a matter of the heart as the mind. Often the mind does not know what God has written on the heart. When we look beyond the surface of nature and are found immersed in the study of it's internal order, often the mind discovers what the heart's true purpose and conviction is. It becomes a valuable revelation that is more satisfying than the false discrimination of awards and prizes that generally go amiss anyway. 

We discussed how it takes wit, interest and energy to be a happy artist and plein air painter. A great activity, you must be open to be alive for the spirit to flow. We agreed that there must be courage and know that there are no easy ruts to follow to happiness. And here I will share that I was never more over the moon than when 6 artists besides myself stepped up to place their money down without refund for an adventurous opportunity to paint on Monhegan Island this February. It is a daring thing to do when you know you've paid forward for a chance to express what you might see on a winter out-to-sea island in Maine. This group of plein air painters at all levels of artistic development will take the only mail boat out of Port Clyde at 9:30 am on February 19th to actually embark on a whimsical adventure that will reveal great moments that will, I'm sure, be very rewarding.  In fact, it beats all the things wealth can provide to be able to have a chance to say in a painting language the things one believes. To be able to put into painterly form and pass them on to anyone who might care to take them up.  There is the hope of happiness; and although it is actually disturbing for some to tell the truth and act rightly, the fact remains that all the great paintings that have ever been painted are not yet all created. And I am excited to see how this Plein Air Connection group will evolve and impact their world with their paintings.

Our next Plein Air Connection group discussion is on Saturday February 1st, 2014 at the Holy Grounds Coffee Shop at Grace Church. We will discuss "My People" on p. 143 to "Letter of Criticism" p. 159 in Robert Henri's The Art Spirit book. Joann Arsenault will be making us her special Chicken Gnocchi Soup! This last meeting Kay Carter made us a terrific Corn Chowder with homemade bread. Thanks Kay it was delicious! Please feel free to bring art books with reproductions and paintings that you would like comments from the group. We will be meeting right after the Bangor Art Society intake for their group show from 11 am to  one o'clock.

The Bangor Art Society Member Show intake is at 10am on Saturday February 1st and the Opening Reception is on Tuesday February 11th at 6pm. Members can bring 2-3 pieces (we will hang 3 if there is room, but you are guaranteed 2). Open Juried Show 2014: Show intake is 10am till noon, Saturday 3rd May. Judging will be 12:30-2:30pm, please pick up pieces not juried between 2:30 and 4:30pm that day. Registration and jury details to come. Advance notice that we will now be combining acrylic and oil categories once again. Opening Reception and awards 6-7 PM Tuesday 13th May. 


Please note: all are welcome to our next Bangor art Society meeting on Tuesday, January 28th at the Creative Arts Center in Brewer. As you cross the Union Street bridge from Bangor, Schooners is on your right, the Arts Center on your left. The best way to drive into their parking lot is to take a left onto North Main Street and turn left after just a few buildings. (This is much easier and less dangerous than trying to cut in front of traffic to get in the first possible entrance immediately next to the bridge.) Like last year, we will be painting the ceramic of your choice (eg. plate, platter, mug).  The cost for the item plus its glazing and firing varies from about $10 to $20 so bring cash or checks. Last year we found it helpful to plan ahead of time a design or image to paint. It is challenge enough to paint using colors that look very different wet than when glazed and fired. Even if you don't want to paint, do come along for the meeting and inspiration.
Beyond January the Bangor Art society meetings held on the third floor of the Bangor Public library are the following dates: Feb 25th, Mar 25th, April 22nd, May 27th, Sept 23rd, Oct 28th, and Nov 25th, 2014.

I wish you all a fantastic week that artistically impacts your world,

Michael E. Vermette
Coordinator of the Plein Air Connection
Vice president of the Bangor Art Society