Settled now in beautiful Ramona, California, I’ve begun a new chapter in my painting adventures. Ramona Valley Plein Air Painters is my first attempt at getting established in the art communities of San Diego county. Plein Air, or painting on location, is a very important aspect of my artistic goals in fine art for many reasons. As artists, we must learn to see with an artist’s eye. That means gathering the correct visual information in the landscape or subject matter. Then to create, for example, the color that lives within the shadows cast by a tree. A camera cannot capture what the human eye sees.
Around every corner, it seems, there are amazing places to set up an easel and capture the scene before you. Since we began in February, the group has been painting at the Barnett Ranch Preserve near the San Diego Country Estate. Barnett Ranch is an old cattle ranch which now serves as a public hiking area. It has many vistas and paths dotted with boulders and stately oak trees. There are endless subjects to paint-from cattle roaming the fields to the rolling rocky foothills in the distance.
Ramona Valley Plein Air Painters meet on Tuesday mornings at different locations. Our new group is small as it just began, but I have high hopes that more will join us as I get the word out. I have invited artists from our neighboring communities, like Julian to join us as well. There is no cost to join. Simply contact me to get on the mailing list by using the subscription form on my site or emailing me at jerim@jerimfineart.com.
Painting outdoors is a challenge. It takes dedication and commitment, but the results of painting from life are well worth the effort.
A quick snapshot of some of my plein air studies painted on location at Barnett Ranch Preserve:
