Plein Air Anyone? | Kathy McNenly

Every summer I get the opportunity to finally get out of the studio for a bit and paint in the outdoors. I would paint on canoe trips into Killarney Provincial Park, Algonquin Park or along the North Channel of Lake Huron. On the canoe trips, I had to be very selective of the set up for painting, making sure I had only the minimum of what I needed. I could not take on too much extra weight for portaging. A small efficient palette of colours and a light pochade box worked quite well. I certainly have gone more high tech over the years with my paint set up, but everything still has to fit into a small backpack.

Painting on Great Mountain Lake, Killarney Park

K.McNenly_| Cloudy_Day_Pancake_Bay,_Lake_Superior_Oil_on_linen_mounted_on_panel

Painting outdoors is wonderful, but not always! I am certainly not a hardcore plein air painter. I really admire those who are. Their passion for it overcomes many uncomfortable situations. I personally try to avoid the scenes that will entail being eaten alive by mosquitoes, black flies or deer flies. But there are always challenges to overcome. As a studio painter primarily, I find landscape painting from life challenging. Light is constantly changing and one has to edit a large amount of information into a simplified version of reality. But I love being outdoors in nature. So much inspiration for a painter. And it really makes you feel alive.

K.McNenly | Looking_Across_Pancake_Bay,_Lake_Superior_Oil_on_linen_mounted_on_panel

Each summer now we spend time up on Lake Superior visiting with family. It is an incredibly beautiful part of our country. I usually find favourite spots that I return to each year to paint. Each time is a totally different experience. The day can be perfect and then the wind and waves can pick up and almost blow you away. But when you get a little painting done and it has gone well, it feels incredibly satisfying.