The 2017 Southampton Art School Annual Adventure was carrying on the legacy of my friend and artist Jane Champagne. This was the fourteenth demonstration painting of the Adventure and the third of Day 4 of the Plein Air Paint Out.
When the group arrived they set up at the cyclonic branch of the deformation zone beach so I moved to be with them. This was going to be a very windy location with the westerly fetch of blustery winds off George Lake. It was more important to be with the group than to seek sheltered comfort. At breakfast I had pointed out that the isobaric gradient was really quite weak so I was hopeful that the winds would not be an issue. The slight anticyclonic curvature of those flat ridge isobars and the cold air advection overpowered the gradient wind and it was indeed windy and even a bit chilly.
This view across George Lake is on a small, smooth and very slippery surface. The colours of autumn were just starting to emerge through the green of the conifers. I wanted to demonstrate that sometimes less can be much more. Just a few strokes in a limited amount of time and space can still be rewarding. One can kill a painting with a thousand strokes and render it quite lifeless. I love the strengths and texture of oils and en plein air, there is nothing like them especially when buffeted by the elements.
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