By Jackie Lee | Sun Fine Arts —
The great outdoors is inarguably the greatest studio of all. Plein Air painting was in its infancy in the 19th century when a group of painters ventured out into the Hudson Valley in New York to paint for posterity the grandeur of nature, inspired by artists like Constable and Turner. Revered names such as Bierstadt, Church, Cole, Durand, and Kensett painted the majesty of the landscapes and towering mountains on small canvases then, back in their studios, re-imagined their work on canvases as huge as befit the scope of the project.
The DeYoung Museum in San Francisco dedicates a gallery to the Hudson Valley painters, up the grand staircase to the end of the corridor. The paintings are awe inspiring, especially those seven and eight feet wide.
The plein air style welcomed new devotees to the craft in recent years. They are frequently seen around the countryside with their easels and paints, enjoying sunshine and beautiful Sonoma vistas. Some say our countryside is like no other anywhere. There’s an aura of peace and spirituality in our surrounding area, enjoyed by many plein air painters who flock here from other parts of the country.
Three local stalwart artists get together regularly to paint areas of Sonoma. Michael Bartlett, Timothy Dixon and Donna de la Briandais select areas of interest and set easels up near each other to record different views. Only the most extreme weather will put them off, and they capture some of their best paintings in gray, misty, cold, windy air.
Michael Bartlett’s work is much admired for his stunning capture of light upon each subject. He creates his paintings with glazes of different colors, all adding up to the final presentation of multiple layers acting together in mysterious harmony. It is a difficult and lengthy process, and he is a master. His favorite activity is going out to paint plein air, either alone or with painting buddies Donna and Timothy. They get together in a chosen spot, paint for a few hours, break for lunch, and paint again until the light changes. It’s a lot of painting, but also a lot of camaraderie.
Although painting is a daily occupation for Michael, he’s also writing a course and manual entitled “Modern Color Theory, the New Primaries and a Practical Mixing Guide for Painters,” to share his love of painting and to inspire a new generation of artists in their own experiences with color. He will place updates at michaelebartlett.com.
Donna de la Briandais is a name well-known to many artists in Northern California through the frequent art classes she gave prior to Covid’s interference. Students know her as gracious and patient, and hopes are high that she will resume workshops again soon. She enjoys the bracing sea air and beach walks when painting coastal scenes, rivers, and surrounding landscapes. Her impressionistic work reflects light and shadow, atmosphere, and color with bravado application of paint to canvas, leaving some parts rough and natural as in the real world. Donna feels and interprets the spiritual aspect of the countryside in Sonoma, and it shows in all of her paintings.
This year marks her 32nd participation in Sonoma County Art Trails set for September and October 2022; the event is her busiest time of year for sales. She is also called on as a juror and judge for art competitions. View her work at Donnasfineart.com.
Timothy Dixon’s work is readily identifiable for its vivid colors. He too favors plein air painting as the first stage in his process by capturing the scene on a small canvas on site; then it’s reimagined back in the studio on a larger canvas, which then takes more work to complete. He typically uses bright reds, golds, and purples which together present stunning complements to each other.
His current subjects of choice include figures, animals, still life, Native Americans, and cars, as well as landscapes of all kinds, but in the past, he designed important posters for such luminaries as Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, and the Grateful Dead, among others. He also designed leather, lapidary, silver and goldsmithing, woodcarvings, and dream catchers, but kept returning to his love of color and painting, to which he remains dedicated today. Timothydaviddixon.com.
If you see this group anywhere around Sonoma, stop by and say hello. They love to talk about art.
Jackie Lee is an artist and writer living in Sonoma. JackieLeeArt@comcast.net.
What a treat to see this article, of course I may be a little biased so take my comment with a grain of salt. I do want to say thank you to the Sun for encouraging articles written about Sonoma artists and for promoting the arts in Sonoma Valley. Big or small the creative spirit of art has powerful salient contributions to our culture and the culture of the world. Art shows up just like life, it can not be denied except to destroy all humanity and humans still have some good qualities. Keep up the good work Sonoma Sun.