I NAILED THE ATMOSPHERIC COLORS!

A Lesson Learned...

Back in about 2003, an important Utah art curator Vernon G. Swanson recognized my talent and technical skill with the paint brush then asked me, "Do you get out and plein air paint much?" I told him that I was trained in that method and firmly believed in this practice, but life happened, priorities went skeewompass and I got out of the habit. He then told me that only a small percentage of Utah landscape artists practiced plein air and encouraged me to get back into the habit.


En Plein Air, a french phrase which was first coined by the french impressionists movement of the nineteenth century, means to paint outside in the open air of nature. The idea was to capture the feeling of atmospheric natural light and freeze a moment in time using colored artists oil pigments. Most academic painters of this period, who were taught by the instructors of the top European art schools, were accustomed to the studio and often painted dark backdrops in their composition, working by candle light or gas lamp. Many of these academically trained artists, stuck with tradition, using formulas and constructed their paintings mainly in somber or muted tones. Another group of artists of this same period, at first few in number, were mocked and brushed off as incompetents. Their method of painting was first rejected by the annual Salon show, so they eventually made arrangements to have their own art exhibits. From these meager beginnings, the likes of Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Camille Pissaro, Renoir' and others, soon became known as the French Impressionists. In their experimenting, as they labored to capture an accurate impression of naturalistic realism by painting the true color of atmospheric light, they discovered Impressionism. The French Impressionist School went on to become the world's most important art movement of that period. Since the early french impressionist movement, other so called "modern art" schools made a rise in popularity for a brief period, then soon ran out of steam, yet the principles and truths first taught by French Impressionists live on and are still very valid today.

My desire to become a professional artist, took root early in my childhood. By the time I was eight years old, I knew fine art would be my lifelong chosen career. One day at the local barber shop (Brad's Barber Shop) in Rexburg, Idaho where I grew up, Brad asked me what my name was and I proudly said, "My name is Russell Ricks and I'm an artist!" TMI perhaps, but I had clearly determined in my mind to spend my life creating art that people would enjoy.

In his teens, Brad Frandsen was employed at my father's sign business before he went on to become a barber. My father also had a strong desire to create art and sell to art collectors, but he didn't know if it was possible to really make a living as a fine artist. Needing to channel his creative desire into something productive,  he learned the vocation of sign painting. In 1969, he had a brave idea to start a nationally advertised annual summer plein air workshop. Dad hired nationally renown art instructors to teach at his school then later built his own following and gained confidence in his ability to teach the principles of plein air painting. This annual plein air school ran for about fifteen years. Dad went on to have a very successful career as an artist. Besides learning from my father, the instructor who had a very big influence on me, was the late Sergei Bongart, a former Soviet impressionist and Kiev, Ukraine native. Sergei eventually escaped the communist country and immigrated to America. In 1969, my father and Bongart first met. The following year, the plein air school known as Painting Vacations was formed. In his lifetime and from his main art school in Santa Monica, California, Bongart taught literally thousands of aspiring artist, some of which later became successful career fine artist, others became art professors, teaching at the college level throughout America. From my upbringing (my training in the sign industry and as a plein air painter), I combine the two skills to paint my unusually enormous mural projects. I also sell art to collectors through art galleries or by private commission.    

Of a more recent date, I took the opportunity to learn from an artist I deeply admire (Linda Curley-Christiensen) in August 2-6 of this year (2011). It was a wonderful experience --- an En Plein Air Art Workshop (confessedly my first in many years). For five days, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., we painted out in the open air. Each day, we set up our plein air easels at a different location and practiced trying to nail the true colors of nature. Coincidentally, since the curator talked to me in 2003, Linda recognized my well trained skill with the paint brush, observing also that I had developed a deep understanding of the principles of art said, "I know you can mix color. I also know you understand all the principles. All you have to do now is nail the atmospheric color, then you won't have any difficulty selling your fine art!" What a very nice compliment. :) I am humbled... And I have been out in the open air practicing plein air painting many times since her workshop. The result of that effort --- what I accomplished on the mural today! Although the mural, and even that particular mountain shown in the updated pictures on this blog (Squaw Peak) is far from being finished, it is proof that frequent plein air painting is an absolute must if you're a career landscape painter.

Thanks Linda, I finally got the message!