Inspirational Insights from CW Mundy

Be inspired by American Impressionist artist CW Mundy, who explores the rewards of plein air painting, from changing light and natural sounds to the lasting impact on his studio work.

CW’s art video workshop, “Still Life Simplified: Master Values to Create Believable Paintings,” is now available through PaintTube.tv!

Plein air painting began after the artist attended several workshops, studying under fellow artists Dan Gerhartz and Scott Christensen. Following these studies, CW and his wife embarked on a journey to Europe, where he created a collection he called the Paysages de France, painting en plein air in France for a month and a half. This experience was instrumental in establishing his foundation in plein air painting and ultimately served as the launchpad for their entire career. Plein air painting holds a special place in CW’s heart, offering the excitement and stimulation of painting outdoors in the manner of the old masters.

This immersion in plein air painting subsequently transitioned CW into becoming a studio painter. The knowledge gained from painting rapidly outdoors was then applied to the studio environment, allowing him to slow down, make more varied compositional choices, and develop paintings more fully by working out situations initially explored in the field.

In plein air painting, CW says he is constrained by a limited time window of about two hours, during which the light remains consistent enough to authentically capture a scene. Learning to paint quickly outdoors is one thing, but taking that essential wisdom into the studio allows for a deliberate and slower process.

There are significant benefits of simply being in the natural environment, CW says. The outdoors offers moments of silence, which he cherishes. The peaceful sounds of nature, like birds chirping in the early morning, further enrich the experience. Reflecting on his time in Europe, however, he recalls finding initial annoyance with the constant sound of motorcycles, which are ubiquitous there, but eventually grew to love the sound. The noise evolved from an annoyance into a kind of “white noise” in the background, a reminder of life and movement, signifying that people were active and moving from point A to point B.

Outdoor painting presents a dynamic range of lighting conditions. On overcast days, with a large globe of cloud cover, CW says he can paint for hours, as the light changes very little. More challenging, yet equally interesting, are times when sunlight and cloud cover alternate rapidly—perhaps 15 seconds of sun followed by 30 seconds of clouds. This requires him to make quick decisions, focusing the painting effort on capturing values only when the sunlight is present.

CW considers plein air painting an invaluable educational experience for all artists, believing it to be a crucial step in learning to paint from life outdoors. It teaches you how to embrace the uncontrollable nature of the environment, moving past any initial frustration or being “freaked out.” CW says that experience and practice in this discipline ultimately enhances your ability to articulate your vision.

“I think plein air painting is such a great teaching situation for all artists,” CW says. “It’s a very, very, immensely important part in learning to paint from life outdoors and learning how to enjoy it. The more mileage you have in doing that, the better off you can articulate.”

In his brand new course, C.W. Mundy reveals his complete system for painting still lifes that radiate drama, believability, and emotional depth. Learn more about “Still Lifes Simplified” here.