“I painted ‘Shaping the Land’ on a hill in a cemetery overlooking the valley of Ebey’s Landing on the picturesque Whidbey Island of Washington state,” says plein air painter Brooke Borcherding.
“The open fields on this island are inviting to me, especially because of the variety of shapes to work with. I already have a naturally broken color style so it was fun to work on a composition that is already broken up.
“This was the 6th or 7th painting I had completed by the end of the island’s annual plein air paint-out week so I was exhausted, but also warmed up. I believe I actually painted most of this sitting down in the grass since I was so pooped, which I never do! But I was determined to get one more in, free of pressure since the show pieces were already turned in, and I found out the night before I had taken home first place for my 24×36. What’s another 16×20 before you take the ferry back home to Seattle?
“Sometimes good work comes from being tired because you only make crucial decisions and leave out the erroneous marks that would just eat up more energy. I like how clean and serene ‘Shaping the Land’ turned out, and have painted this site multiple years in a row, so the familiarity also helped hone in a stronger simplified composition.
“My painting friends and I say the Whidbey Plein Air Paint Out is the best week of the year. If you’re curious and want to come paint, it’s an open event you do not have to jury into and it runs in mid-August through the Pacific Northwest School of Art in Coupeville.”
Connect with the artist: www.brookeborcherding.com
Learn more about the Whidbey Island Plein Air Paint Out: whidbeycamanoislands.com
The editorial above is part of a series that spotlights the work of an accomplished plein air artist featured in PleinAir magazine.
Published bi-monthly, PleinAir magazine is focused on landscape paintings by historical and contemporary artists, art collections, events, and the process of creating plein air paintings. Beautifully designed with rich reproductions on high-quality paper, PleinAir features the top artists and artworks from around the world. Start your subscription here.
Story prepared for the web by Cherie Dawn Haas, Editor of Plein Air Today
