Ten Minutes with M. Stephen Doherty, Author of a New Book on Plein Air Painting

Plein air is French for "in open air." Think French Impressionism. This school of art is such that there are national organizations devoted to its expression, and national competitions dedicated to its preservation.

In my Sunday's blog post the challenges of plein air painting were briefly touched upon by Jeffrey Larson of the Great Lakes Academy of Fine Art.

To help reduce the stress of moving from studio to open air, M. Stephen Doherty, editor of Plein Air magazine, has authored a book designed to teach every facet of this growing discipline titled The Art of Plein Air Painting: An Essential Guide to Materials, Concepts, and Techniques for Painting Outdoors (The Monacelli Press, New York, NY).

It's a beautiful book with hundreds of photos that reveal approaches to subject matter as well as broadening one's horizons to subjects one can dive into. As one who enjoys interviewing artists on a regular basis, it was interesting to "meet" various artists from different parts of the country, including one from right here in Duluth who works with pastels, Lisa Stauffer. (You can find her work at Art Dock, Lizzards and Waters of Superior locally, as well as galleries in Red Wing, Woodbury and elsewhere.)

Plein Air painting at Sol Fest in Carlton, circa 2013.

In a 2014 blog post, Doherty explained the difference between painting in the studio and painting outdoors: The differences between studio and outdoor painting can be significant, and painters usually have a preference for one or the other. Studio painters appreciate working in a controlled environment where they can take whatever time is necessary to blend the influences of direct observation, imagination, sketches, photographs, and other artists. Plein air painters want the challenge of thinking and acting quickly in response to changes taking place, and they value the immediacy of works created directly from nature in a limited amount of time.

What follows here is an interview with the artist/author M. Stephen Doherty.

EN: Why do you think there has been such a resurgence in plein air painting?

M. Stephen Doherty: Over the past 15 years, there has been a dramatic increase in outdoor painting, in part because it appeals to artists who love hiking, camping, and painting directly from nature; and in part because events serve the promotional and financial interests of galleries, arts organizations, tourist boards, and sociable artists. Enthusiasm for outdoor painting has grown substantially during that time period as evidenced by the number plein air painters, organized events, artists’ societies, museum and artist websites, informational and educational blogs, and online communities.

EN: How did you come to take an interest in plein air painting? 

MSD: Thirty years ago, I complained to an artist friend I wasn't able to complete paintings because my busy schedule left long gaps of time between painting sessions, and that caused me to lose motivation and inspiration. My friend suggested that outdoor painting would resolve my frustrations because it would allow me to complete respectable small painting in two hours (more or less) anywhere I might find myself.

My buddy and I met in a local park where he demonstrated how to use lightweight, portable equipment; a limited numbers of paints; and a few brushes to create paintings. With those, I could paint when making business trips, watching soccer games, or taking family vacations.

I took that advice, bought the supplies and equipment, ventured out locally where I discovered there were challenges and opportunities I hadn’t anticipated. The first challenge was painting a rapidly changing subject that needed to be simplified to fit inside a 9” x 12” canvas; and the second was coping with the bugs, sunlight, wind, and curious passersby who broke my concentration. I started carrying bug spray, water, umbrellas, hats, and sunblock.

EN: When you were in school what kind of painting were you doing?

MSD: As a student at Knox College in Galesburg, IL, I created representational paintings in acrylic … in the studio. My major was printmaking and I later earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in printmaking from Cornell University, so I was totally oriented towards studio work. I’ve always contended that printmakers are fascinated with process and they are stimulated by long, elaborate, and indirect ways of creating images. Painters, on the other hand, want to be direct. I had to adjust my thinking and my ways of working once I got involved with plein air painting.

EN: The book is both practical and beautiful. How long did it take to produce from conception to finished product?

MSD: It took about 18 months because I had to juggle the work with my job as editor of PleinAir magazine and my desire to become a better plein air painter and an active participant in outdoor painting events. The editor on the book, Victoria Craven, worked for the same company that owned American Artist magazine (which I edited for 31 years) so I was very comfortable taking on the project with her help.

"This way to the Tennis Court" by Neil Sherman

EN: You're also an editor of the PleinAir magazine. Do you have trouble finding a balance between painting and writing?

MSD: Because PleinAir is a bimonthly publication, I do have periods of time when I have less pressure to write and edit the magazine. I am fortunate to have been working from home on my own schedule because that allowed me to turn my attention to painting and writing the book. Like the Dowager Duchess of Grantham, I don’t really know what a weekend is. I work in the early morning, on legal holidays, and late into the evening so I can have the daylight hours for painting and volunteer work. I’m helping a local art school plan their classes and workshops, I pop popcorn at the local performing arts theater, and I am an elder in the First Presbyterian Church of Waynesboro.

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To read more about en plein air painting, visit Mr. Doherty's Wordpress site, Outdoor Painting Adventures.
His website is found at www.stevedohertyart.com

His new book, The Art of Plein Air Painting, can be purchased here on Amazon.

If you are part of the Twin Ports arts scene, be sure to mark you calendar for September 22, the opening reception at the Tweed Museum of Art for America's Industrial Landscape, featuring work by the National Plein Air Painters.

Meantime, art goes on all around you. Engage it!