Paint out stories.

[Patrick Brennan]

I have found that people cant help looking over the artists shoulder, some do ask first but others well you know.Some of the strangest places where i have encountered curious people,In my early days painting out I was rather shy, so I would go to remot locations, normaly into the hills around Donegal, I found a spot with a good view over Donegal bay, sat down, took out the required equiptment, there was a clear view all around, abslutily not a person in sight, aprox 20 minuets at the point you realy start geting into your subject, a voice comes from behind me passing a good coment, startled I looked around to see aprox twenty people tandind in semi circle around me, all dressed for a hardys hill walking. In contrast to this I have sat in the streets of small towns where no one came neare me, obviously thinking that I was some sort of weirdo.

[Patrick Brennan]

yesterday I was walking to a place to paint when I noticed a car stoping, on looking back I seen a camera, yes I was the subject. Granted I was wearing a fleace lined jacket, wolly hat, finger in gloves, lined trousers, walking boots, a large walking stick, with a three leged stool and a french box easel. Just after setting up a passer by comented on the weather and how nuts I was. Later a man walking several dogs, one of which stood a few feet away barking at me, He thought I was a Hardy spirit to worke in these conditions. During my time here I had a small round, ok fat frend hanging around, at one stage it even sat on my easel looking for food, yes it was a robbin. When walking to and from the place I painted from, I thought of some of the sceens in the Lord of the Rings, and the deep snow.

[John Dinan]

I've had several interesting onlooker comments over the years. "Jaysus, my lil sister could paint better'n dat" said a 10 year old to me in the Dublin Liberties many years ago (he was probably right!). A painter friend of mine was asked by an old fisherman in Howth - "are you enjoying painting that?", "Yes" said my artist friend; "I'm glad to hear it - cos you'll never sell it!" said the old expert. Once, again many years ago in the Dublin Liberties, an old man going to church, then the pub, glanced at my starting townscape; on his way back a couple of hours later he took a 'juried' look and reached into his pocket and left a half-crown on my palette (about 50 cent in today's inflation adjusted money) and said "Dere y'ar, yill need dat, I'm off now for me Sunday dinner"
It's called plein talking.

[Patrick Brennan]

On one of my excursions I had decided to incopreate a days sea fishing with a sketching posibly painting trip to a recently visited fishing port in county Doegal, found on a photographic wander with no real goal a day out away from every thing else,back to the story. I parked the car, removed all that I needed for fishing and painting, went to the end of the pier, set up and started to fish, with this sorted I took out my sketching things, made a few drawings, then i took out the painting materials which on this day was water colours. In the mean time I was aware of people startint to move around, being a sunday I thought like me they where strangers pasing through, but when they started to move some of the machinery which was around i realised that they where locals. Which was ok untill a forklift truck with an Oil tank started to come in my direction, I sat where i was and tryed to ignore this. The driver of the forklift came within a foot of where i sat put the tank down behind me, I continued to paint, The driver and his frends came over to me and asked me what i was doing. I was felling very nervis, so I let them see, we got into conversation, and I let them look through my sketch book, they where fasinated by how many places I had been, I had never thought of my sketches in that way before, as far as I was concerned I never went anywhere special, but I had been to more places than they had, so I now look at my sketches in a diffrent way.

[Tony Robinson]

We've seen broken fingers, whiplash and a snapped knee ligament on paint-outs in the last 12 months. Like Patrick's X-rated tale, its not for the faint-hearted. So yes, I think a section for 'Extreme Plein Air' could be a good call. Not to mention the psychological trauma suffered by artists like David and Karen at the hands of the public.
Its only a matter of time before they bring out an advertisement beginning with a sunrise and birdsong and ending with a siren and flashing red lights -"If you've had an accident plein air painting through no fault of your own...call this number"
Or someone posting a Youtube video on "How to make a handy pochade box out of your old first-aid case."

Karen, has modesty prevented you from telling the other half of that Bunclody story, which as I recall, had a happier ending?

[Patrick Brennan]

I do enjoy painting out, but you cant do somthing like this without somthing hapening around what you are doing and seeing. After the first few encounters you soon learn to cope with and somtimes even encourage intrest from others, after all you are in there environment to. I got my intrest in painting out when I was a member of a local art society, the group banter and encourigment where good fun, for weeks, not just for that day. This is what is missing when you go out on your own, somtimes we would prefere to be on our own, which as you can see from my other story can have its down falls.

[Paul Maloney]

I like the social aspect of plein air,meeting other artist and interested onlookers.Its part of the deal .It also helps to spread the idea of plein air painting,, its a competitive world out there! keep the faith.

[Karen Scannell]

Patrick yourself and Paddy Darrigan(of the "Man Falls" incident), have plenty in common..Maybe we need a PEPA group ( plein air painters annonomous), ..or Extreme PEPA, where traumatic events and scars from plein air painting are nursed!! Whoever said painting was relaxing???
With "onlookers", particularly in the beginning I had decided to take the tack that every occurance while painting was worthwhile and added to the whole experience..Most people are delighted that you've seen something "special" in their part of the world, and a we often go home with more than a painting, but a history lesson and pointers to other hidden gems!!
I reigned this attitude in, only slightly, after a group paintout in Bunclody earlier this year .After spending the morning at Newtownbarry House, I decided to have a look at the town which was in the middle of a sponsored tractor drive event..Ahh yes plenty to try out.. people buildings moving objects!!
I settled down in the village square, intent on painting people. Under the shade of a tree, I thought I was well camouflaged, and started a small paint sketch of a mother and child about twenty feet away, giving myself 15 mins .
I had barely made a mark on my little canvas, when a little traveller girl covering her face with an icecream stood in front of me...."what are you doing?".
" I'm just doing a little painting " I replied, hoping my lack of eye contact would dissuade her from further engagement.
"that's my ma..can me and my friend sit with her?"
What the hell "sure" I said..
Well with ten minutes I had worked up such a sweat not only did I have the mother , the daughter, her friend posing while their icecream melted, but her mothers friend and daughter wanted to be in the painting also.!! In the end I gasped and gave in saying :
" sorry I'm just not on form today!"

[David Diaz]

I've not really had a bad experience with folk on the street, and have sold either the piece or a commission, but I have found that i didn't really know just how popular and/or invasive painting is, because everyone who approached either also painted, took classes, had a wife, grandmother, or aunt who also painted, and understood exactly what style I was employing (something that has eluded me personally).

[Patrick Brennan]

Unfortunitly I havent sold any of the easil, but heres hopening. I was leading up to the reason I am not aloued to go painting on my own in certin places. Last year about this time I went out to a local woods where there is a water fall which I knew would be in full flow, but to reach it required a scramble down a steep and sodden reven, then climbe over an asortment of rocks and bolders, oh forgot to mention the dog, not the best companion on a ttrip of this sort. The intention was to follow the river and come out at the bridge. We reached our destinations , and spent a few hours taking photographs, sketching and painting while the dog lay around trying to avoin the dripes from above our heads. With all packed up we left, on reaching the last large rockes befor clambering up the gully, I helped the doe up, then It was my turn, I jumped up on the rock, then whoops my footing went out from under me, of I went crashing down aprox twelve foot bouncing of a rock on the way, spining me around, so I landed on my front, and slid int a gap which stoped me from going any further. I lay there taking stock, eventuali I got up not having broken anything, but wellcovered in cuts and certin joint swolen, I had gashed my knees and banged my feet and ankles, so standing was difficult, where was the dog, she had tagen of to enjoy herself and her new found freedom, after all she wasent Lasey. The only way out was to get over that gap. To the left hand side there was a moss and grass matting. I had to launch myself and try to grab on to this, which I did. After this Ihad to force myself to clamber up the ravene, on reaching the top the dog turned up. The car was a field away, when I got there I realised that I was covered from head to foot in mud, got home and took a shower. When i told my wife what had hapened she baned me from going there on my own. It took me over six monthe before my knees recovered, I am arthritic . I did return a few months ago taking my son with me, we aproched the falls from a diffrent angle, but the water was quite high, so it wasent hapening, I saw another way around, this required a climb along a cliff face. I duely started to climb but my hands and feet wasent right so i got down again, to which my son said you where giong to climb over there. He was right I was, well we tooka long walk around the wood insted. When you reach a certin age you still dont think you cant do certins things , you somtimes need a wake up fall.

[Plein Eire Administrator]

First Contact with the Aliens...t.
Much debate has been expended here and elsewhere on 'the problem with painting outside'. That is, how to avoid or get rid of the onlookers. They loom large in the imagination and in conversations in garrets and at cafe tables. Unnatural abominations like the mythological minotaur and the centaur, the Onlooker is half art-critic and half stand-up comedian. Stratagems ranging from warning slogans on T-shirts, camouflage, guard-dogs, pepper spray, brushes clenched between the teeth, scowls and sarcasm are earnestly proposed.
However, Michael Richardson, a visiting painter to Art in the Open festival this year was taken aback by talk of such lengths, pointing out that these same onlookers were also the first contact with potential buyers of the work being done, and if, as he, one held any hope to sell the painting, this approach was akin to Coca Cola saying 'Its not to everyone's taste, you know' or Macdonalds declaring 'You probably couldn't afford our BigMac and fries'.
Have you ever had to pack up in frustrated rage or have you happily sold 'em hot off the easel?
What has been your experience?