Plein Eire Site - Plein Eire2024-03-29T02:27:10Zhttps://pleineire.ning.com/forum/categories/plein-eire-site/listForCategory?feed=yes&xn_auth=noCongratulationstag:pleineire.ning.com,2016-08-11:4851125:Topic:1759342016-08-11T14:33:17.723ZSally Downeyhttps://pleineire.ning.com/profile/sallydowney
<p>Congratulations and very well done to Dee Crowe, Valerie Syms Martin and John McManus on their well deserved wins at Wexford. Wonderful work .</p>
<p>Congratulations and very well done to Dee Crowe, Valerie Syms Martin and John McManus on their well deserved wins at Wexford. Wonderful work .</p> My Pagetag:pleineire.ning.com,2012-06-16:4851125:Topic:891172012-06-16T01:13:53.429ZPlein Eire Administratorhttps://pleineire.ning.com/profile/PleinEireAdministrator
<p>A small but useful recent improvement to the Plein Eire site is the facility to add and alter the message at the top of you personal page. It is the large text that probably says, "Your Name's Page" over the centre column.</p>
<p>Now you can change it by double clicking it and type in any message you want. Or just as easily change it back again.</p>
<p>Here are a few suggestions and maybe you can suggest some more:</p>
<ul>
<li>Your contact email (so non-members can contact and perhaps buy…</li>
</ul>
<p>A small but useful recent improvement to the Plein Eire site is the facility to add and alter the message at the top of you personal page. It is the large text that probably says, "Your Name's Page" over the centre column.</p>
<p>Now you can change it by double clicking it and type in any message you want. Or just as easily change it back again.</p>
<p>Here are a few suggestions and maybe you can suggest some more:</p>
<ul>
<li>Your contact email (so non-members can contact and perhaps buy paintings in your online portfolio).</li>
<li>Your phone number.</li>
<li>Your next exhibition dates.</li>
<li>Your gallery's web address.</li>
<li>A seasonal message.</li>
<li>Your favourite art quotation.</li>
<li>Or just leave it as it is. Its entirely up to you. </li>
</ul>
<p> Enjoy!</p>
<p> The Plein Air Administration Team.</p> Starting and running a plein air painting group.tag:pleineire.ning.com,2012-02-19:4851125:Topic:806172012-02-19T18:39:45.516ZPlein Eire Administratorhttps://pleineire.ning.com/profile/PleinEireAdministrator
<p>Meeting up to paint together is known as a '<strong>paint-out</strong>'. It is a major part of what <strong>Plein Eire</strong> website is about and is of great benefit socially, educationally, professionally and in other ways. It is also good fun. At the start of 2012, several of the established groups here are already very active, arranging paint-outs, painting together and posting the results. However, there are still several 'cold spots' around this island not covered by any group; not…</p>
<p>Meeting up to paint together is known as a '<strong>paint-out</strong>'. It is a major part of what <strong>Plein Eire</strong> website is about and is of great benefit socially, educationally, professionally and in other ways. It is also good fun. At the start of 2012, several of the established groups here are already very active, arranging paint-outs, painting together and posting the results. However, there are still several 'cold spots' around this island not covered by any group; not everyone has a group nearby, or can get time to paint on the designated weekday their local group has adopted. This website aims to ensure that wherever you live, there will be an active plein air group you can join.</p>
<p></p>
<p>This discussion aims to set out a few observations about starting and maintaining a group and different options available. It isn't intended to be prescriptive; there is no right and wrong and organisers of existing groups will be asked to contribute their experience to the debate as well as individual members.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311503369?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311503369?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p> SEPA members on a paint-out to Passage East, County Waterford</p>
<p><strong>What is involved.</strong></p>
<p>A paint-out<strong> </strong>requires minimal arranging, just the basics. Someone should check that there are parking facilities and<b> </b>where is the nearest cafe or bar with toilet facilities. Check they will be open on the morning of the paint-out and tell them what is happening. Most are happy to let you use the washroom, especially if you meet up there for a coffee to begin the day or to round off and compare notes at the end. If there is nowhere for refreshments, members may want to bring a packed lunch. Directions are easy with Google maps.</p>
<p><strong>Size Matters...?</strong></p>
<p>There is nothing inherently good about a large group meeting. If two or three artists meet to paint and enjoy the experience it can be a more flexible, relaxed affair, easy to arrange with artists at a similar level of accomplishment. On the other hand, a larger group can gather a more interesting mix of painters, different styles to see, different levels to learn from and open up more possibilities to exhibit as a group, perhaps, or to find one or two painting companions who may be able to join you on other days.</p>
<p><strong>Structure.</strong></p>
<p><em>"Democracy is the worst form of government with the exception of all the other forms that have been tried"</em>. </p>
<p>The nature of most of us is to be happy to let one person run things (as long as it isn’t <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>me</strong></span>). You may find a ‘benign dictator’ may be what works best and its almost always better than nothing. However, it isn’t ideal for any group to rely on the same person to call every meeting and decide where and when for each paint-out. Relying entirely on one person has obvious disadvantages, not least that that person may eventually lose interest or become unavailable and the whole group can collapse. Groups generally strive for a level of democratic structure and delegate tasks to widen the base of responsibility. 'Taking turns' to nominate a good venue, check out parking and the local pub or cafe and post the notices to Plein Eire is one simple way to achieve inclusiveness without having to have committee meetings for every decision. In practice, it may be four or five stalwarts taking turns and the rest 'go with the flow', but always keep asking and seeking feedback.</p>
<p><b>Catchment.</b></p>
<p>Be aware of your group’s entire catchment area and make sure to visit the different corners occasionally to cater for all members, eg. it isn't a good idea to call your group, ‘Leinster Plein Air Painters’, if you don’t intend to travel outside Wicklow. It is better to start small and expand or amalgamate than to occupy a role which can’t comfortably be fulfilled and perhaps smothering another group at the farther edges of your catchment area. An option might be to have different 'chapters' who get together on different weekends than the main group. Especially in the winter months when paint-outs tend to be shorter and the weather less reliable, then it can be more practical to meet in smaller, localised groups.</p>
<p><b>Recruiting members.</b></p>
<p>To find others interested in plein air painting living near you, first run a search by county under the 'Artists' tab on Plein Eire. You could also post a notice, start a discussion or post a blog showing a couple of local spots and asking if anyone would like to join you painting there. Once you have a small group, If you know of an art club near where you will be painting, send the secretary an email to invite any interested members to join you for some outdoor painting. Have some business cards or even scraps of paper with your Plein Eire Group URL on them; often someone will see a couple of easels outside and approach you looking to join in next time.</p>
<p><b>When to meet?</b></p>
<p>Set up a regular day, perhaps the first Saturday of the month or every second Sunday after taking the views of your membership. Accept that you won’t please everybody. Some want to meet on Saturday, some on Sunday, some on mornings and some only when the sun is shining. At these meetings, if anyone feels like painting next week, or in a fortnight for a slightly less formal get-together, they can exchange contact details and make arrangements. </p>
<p><strong>Groups and Plein Eire Website.</strong></p>
<p>Usually a paint-out will be<strong> </strong>announced under 'Events' and perhaps on the relevant Group page on <strong>Plein Eire</strong>. Encourage members to use the event's RSVP alert, so you have an idea who is coming. This also allows the co-ordinator for the day to cancel the paint-out following an adverse weather forecast by sending a single alert to all those attending. Everyone ought to check the Event page on the evening beforehand for confirmation that all's well. Add a Google map reference and a photo of the place you are going to.</p>
<p>It is easy to start a Group Page on Plein Eire and members may belong to more than one. Your group just needs a title and a logo or image. There is no minimum number of members a group may have. Groups may be 'Open' or 'Private' (whereby members must first be approved or invited by the Group Administrator). Most are 'Open' membership, without fees. But again, this is an individual choice. Of course, Groups may soon be starting which link members with a common interest, eg. Plein Air Pastels, Urban Plein Air etc. but that is not what is referred to here.</p>
<p></p>
<p>I hope this gets a discussion going as Plein Eire has had several enquiries from members across the country for fellow painters to paint with.</p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311503411?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311503411?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p> And afterwards,..a pint o' plein is yer only man!</p> Networking - is anybody out there?tag:pleineire.ning.com,2012-01-29:4851125:Topic:790702012-01-29T13:44:06.135ZPlein Eire Administratorhttps://pleineire.ning.com/profile/PleinEireAdministrator
<p><strong>A brief update to pass on some facts about this Plein Eire site and to encourage every member to make the most of the opportunity membership presents.</strong></p>
<p></p>
<p>In common with most similar sites, it sometimes seems as if the same 5% of the members do 95% of the posting and perhaps that no-one else is taking any interest in what we do, or don't do. You could be forgiven for thinking that, either way, it doesn't matter to anyone outside this little circle with a…</p>
<p><strong>A brief update to pass on some facts about this Plein Eire site and to encourage every member to make the most of the opportunity membership presents.</strong></p>
<p></p>
<p>In common with most similar sites, it sometimes seems as if the same 5% of the members do 95% of the posting and perhaps that no-one else is taking any interest in what we do, or don't do. You could be forgiven for thinking that, either way, it doesn't matter to anyone outside this little circle with a specialised common interest.</p>
<p></p>
<p>But you would be wrong.</p>
<p></p>
<p>A scan of Google's analytical data for the last (typical) 28 day period reveals the following:</p>
<p></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>1,475 individuals</strong> logged on to Plein Eire (more than 3 times the membership).</li>
<li>There were a total of <strong>3,829 visits</strong> to <strong>Plein Eire</strong>.</li>
<li>Almost 1-in-3 were <strong>new visitors</strong>.</li>
<li>Visits were made from <strong>64 countries</strong> across the globe.</li>
<li><strong>25,886 pages</strong> were viewed<strong>.</strong></li>
<li>And the average visit lasted <strong>6 minutes</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<p>Along with other artists, it can be assumed some of this traffic will include potential buyers, galleries etc. So, if you want to promote your work, the opportunity is here.</p>
<p>For some ideas on how you can make the most of it, click <strong><a href="http://pleineire.ning.com/notes/Making_the_most_of_your_profile_page" target="_self">here.</a></strong></p> Online Art Communitiestag:pleineire.ning.com,2011-09-20:4851125:Topic:659362011-09-20T22:30:29.541ZPlein Eire Administratorhttps://pleineire.ning.com/profile/PleinEireAdministrator
<p>We recently had an enquiry about posting more than just plein air artwork on this site as artists find it harder to get outside over the winter months.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>We decided it best to keep to what this site is about - plein air - as there are other sites that deal with those many other aspects of painting. Of course, it is important to share with your plein air buddies what you are doing 'off-season'. Maybe your group will still meet up but for life-drawing or to paint a still-life in…</p>
<p>We recently had an enquiry about posting more than just plein air artwork on this site as artists find it harder to get outside over the winter months.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>We decided it best to keep to what this site is about - plein air - as there are other sites that deal with those many other aspects of painting. Of course, it is important to share with your plein air buddies what you are doing 'off-season'. Maybe your group will still meet up but for life-drawing or to paint a still-life in the studio? For these activities there are Plein Eire's blogs and forum on which you can post other aspects of your creative output. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Perhaps your group is thinking about having an exhibition or you intend 'working-up' some of your smaller plein air paintings into larger, studio pieces? If so, we'd like to hear about it in a blog and find out how you progress.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>However, with now over 400 members, Plein Eire website will be reviewing its role and whether it is serving a useful purpose and what improvements could be made over the winter. Any input from members is welcome. To start off a discussion, here is an article about <a target="_blank" href="http://faso.com/fineartviews/35111/online-art-community-the-pros-and-cons-of-online-art-groups">the pros and cons of an online art community</a>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>What do you think?</p> Paint-outstag:pleineire.ning.com,2011-09-03:4851125:Topic:640132011-09-03T19:22:06.203ZNorah Blounthttps://pleineire.ning.com/profile/NorahBlount
Are dates and locations for all paint-outs listed here under "plein Air Events" ? I thought I saw the Dublin group meeting today but couldnt find it when I looked last night and the same for the Dublin Sketchers. I think some are being organised by email or by texting but as I have been having problems with my old email address I think I have missed a few dates ..... think it would be best to post events on the site here perhaps as it is the one place we can all access without having someone…
Are dates and locations for all paint-outs listed here under "plein Air Events" ? I thought I saw the Dublin group meeting today but couldnt find it when I looked last night and the same for the Dublin Sketchers. I think some are being organised by email or by texting but as I have been having problems with my old email address I think I have missed a few dates ..... think it would be best to post events on the site here perhaps as it is the one place we can all access without having someone having the extra job of emailin/txt ? Policy on posting to 'Artwork'tag:pleineire.ning.com,2011-06-18:4851125:Topic:467512011-06-18T10:22:27.293ZPlein Eire Administratorhttps://pleineire.ning.com/profile/PleinEireAdministrator
<p> </p>
<p>The following notice has been sent to all members (18/06/2011).</p>
<p> </p>
<p>However, it is repeated here for open discussion if members want clarification on some point or for you to express your own views:-</p>
<p> </p>
<p> -----------------------------------</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>'Dear Artist Member,</em></p>
<p><em>I would like to give a periodic reminder to any new members and to older members who may have forgotten the guidelines for…</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>The following notice has been sent to all members (18/06/2011).</p>
<p> </p>
<p>However, it is repeated here for open discussion if members want clarification on some point or for you to express your own views:-</p>
<p> </p>
<p> -----------------------------------</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>'Dear Artist Member,</em></p>
<p><em>I would like to give a periodic reminder to any new members and to older members who may have forgotten the guidelines for posting paintings and drawings on <strong>Plein Eire </strong>website. </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>Under '<strong>Artwork</strong>' you may post only your own paintings or drawings done outside and directly from life - that is to say, no studio pieces, no work from reference material such as photographs and sketches. Touch-ups in the studio should be 'finishing touches' not radical revision. Of course there is nothing wrong with work from the studio but this is a plein air painting site.</em></p>
<p><em><br/></em></p>
<p><em>Only the artwork itself should appear in your photograph - no frames, mats or backgrounds and no photos which include the artwork on the easel and the landscape.</em></p>
<p><em><br/></em></p>
<p><em>Photographs must be of reasonable quality - no out-of-focus images or skewed rectangles.</em></p>
<p><em>It is very much encouraged that <strong>title</strong>, <strong>size</strong> and <strong>materials</strong> be given when the artwork is posted making this section as informative and helpful as possible.</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>Other photographs, showing where you were painting, your companions or your painting equipment, or how your painting differed from, or was identical to the landscape etc., may be posted as a <strong>blog</strong> with accompanying text, but not as <strong>Artwork</strong>.</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>As the site membership grows, it is no longer practical to write to individual members when these guidelines are not observed. They are displayed in several places on-site and in future postings ignoring them will be deleted without written notice or apology.</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>Any guidelines impose a certain amount of standardisation and conformity - not very artistic notions, perhaps, - but they aim to present each member's work in a professional, informative context to be viewed as your collective gallery.</em></p>
<p><em>It is regrettable having to delete anyone's posting but it is hoped you will support <strong><em>Plein Eire</em></strong> in its aim to promote a professional standard for posting artwork.'</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Comments welcome.</p>
<p><em><br/></em></p> New to Plein Eire? Introduce yourself...(thread for introductions only)tag:pleineire.ning.com,2010-02-03:4851125:Topic:1142010-02-03T12:44:29.000ZPlein Eire Administratorhttps://pleineire.ning.com/profile/PleinEireAdministrator
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