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YAY!! - This event was such a fun weekend for women and men with all skill levels and all painting/drawing mediums were welcomed!
The plein air weekend was based in the town of Enniskillen with its great mixture of historical buildings, views of the Fermanagh Lakes and street scenes suiting every taste. It was an exciting new venture for USWA and partners and was a great success and enjoyed by everyone who took part.
Participants painted from 10.00am to 4.00pm each day anywhere in the town. We met on Friday 22nd September in Enniskillen Castle Courtyard between 9.30-10am.
Each evening at 4.00pm we gathered in the Castle Courtyard to exhibit the days work, chat to participants, view each others work and also sold a few artworks!
REGISTRATION COST £25 per person
Art Supplies - Plein Air Kit - What to bring!! - Sorrel Wills - Past President USWA and one of the invited demonstration artists gives a few handy hints......
There are many ways you can prepare for plein air, and many of you will already have a favourite set-up you'll like to bring along.
If you are new to plein air, below are a few suggestions for you or what you can bring along for a fun weekend of sketching and painting.
Before we get to the photos, its an essential part of your preparation to think about what you'll be wearing. Layers are advisable, so you can cope with all changes in the weather. Suntan cream may be necessary, as we don't notice ourselves burning, while we concentrate on our art. A brimmed hat is great to reduce glare in your eyes. Waterproof gear may be a great idea, or at least pick a dry vantage point to work from. It will be September, so we hope you won't be needing fingerless gloves as well!!
And one more thing to wear - is a smile! People are naturally curious about artists working outside observing the life going on around them, and they sometimes stop to chat. Don't worry about this if you are self-conscious at first, most people are really admiring and kind. You'll soon be used to the occasional attention and enjoying the whole experience.
If you are new to plein air, below are a few suggestions for you or what you can bring along for a fun weekend of sketching and painting.
Before we get to the photos, its an essential part of your preparation to think about what you'll be wearing. Layers are advisable, so you can cope with all changes in the weather. Suntan cream may be necessary, as we don't notice ourselves burning, while we concentrate on our art. A brimmed hat is great to reduce glare in your eyes. Waterproof gear may be a great idea, or at least pick a dry vantage point to work from. It will be September, so we hope you won't be needing fingerless gloves as well!!
And one more thing to wear - is a smile! People are naturally curious about artists working outside observing the life going on around them, and they sometimes stop to chat. Don't worry about this if you are self-conscious at first, most people are really admiring and kind. You'll soon be used to the occasional attention and enjoying the whole experience.
A sketch book and pencils are all you need to get started. And a hat to keep the glare out of your eyes.
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The Sketch!!
Plein air doesn't have to be all fancy!! a sketch book and pencils (2b to 8b are softer and easier for making a range of lighter to darker shades) are light and esaily portable. just add a camping chair and a hat and you're ready to go!! |
A camping chair or stool means you can go to all kinds of vantage points and sketch in comfort.
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All you need for a seated pastel painting session. Note the glassine paper covering the finished pastel painting. If there are midges, add insect repellent to your list
Pastelmat paper designed for pastels, taped with masking tape on to corrugated plastic board. Tie your water bottle to the easel if it is windy, so the board doesn't act like a sail, and blow away!
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The Basic Soft pastel
Pastels are an enjoyable way to bring colour to plein air. No water or mediums required. A simple drawing board made from corrugated pastic is light and easily fitted to a telescopic, inexpensive easel. Cloths for your lap and hands keep pastels in comfort on your lap and your hands clean between handling colours. Lots of brands are on the market for an inexpensive foray into pastels, if you are new to them. These ones are by Inscribe and are good quality for their price. Don't forget your hat! The hessian bag will be included in your welcome pack, for you to put your chosen art materials in. A drink and some snacks too perhaps? 
Even more pastels! A customised box to hold lots but not so many that they are crazy heavy for walking to your chosen viewpoint.
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This painting was completed using inscribe pastels alone. All pastels can produce similar results, indeed a whole host of various finishes.
This "kit" all fits into the bag, so you are easily portable. A couple of boards, each taped with pastelmat and then finished pastel works protected with a sheet of glassine paper (like a kind of waxed semi transparent paper, which stops smudging) means you could go to a couple of venues and paint your plein air works without having to return to the car.
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 The brass thing is a travel watercolour brush. you pull the handle and a brush is inside. If you push the brass tube onto the other end, it becomes a handle. your bristles are protected in there proper shape when you are not painting.
Make a Splash!!
Water colour is another portable option. (I searched for a collapsible pot for water, but couldn't find it - shows how often I use watercolour!) using a tilting easel can take care of the angles you may like to paint at. however, it is not impossible to work on your lap if you are doing a simple pen and wash on a pad of watercolour paper. To the right is a fancy version, but when you advance in your practise, most artists customise they kit to their individual needs. |
This is a fancier set up and only one idea of the options I have seen used by other water colourists
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A trolley can make cumbersome equipment easily manageable. just secure things well so you can travel over bumps and up and down steps.
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For The Very Enthusiastic!
This is my basic oil painting set up - my French Easel is essentially my office! I keep my oil paints inside it and if I'm using brushes, I'll wrap them in cling film and clean them at home, rather then carry about chemical brush cleaners which could spill. I wipe them on kitchen roll between colours and take all the roll away home with me too. One thing a French Easel is not, is light!! Big Strapping Impressionists embraced this thing and went plein-airing all over the country, but it's very heavy to carry far, so I'm delighted that I thought to take the shopping bag element off a shopping trolley, and my easel can be strapped on it perfectly with the legs of an old pair of opaque tights!! Never throw these useful things away!! (you could use bungey cords too.) This is only one way of putting together an oil painting or acrylic set up. There are lots of artists online who have been generous enough to share how they have solved the various challenges they face in their pursuit for the perfect plein air set up. It's fun to do a little research beforehand. |
Palette knives are easily wipeable which can be a consideration if you would like to paint using oils or acrylics without having to worry able the care of your brushes. Paint tubes are stored inside the easel.
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I hope this information has been helpful. It is not a comprehensive guide as there are so many ways to prepare art materials for a plein air outing but it may give food for thought. The main thing is to have fun with it all.
sorrelwillsart.com
sorrelwillsart.com
Enniskilen PleinAir Painting Weekend - this was how we formatted the weekend.
Itinerary
Friday 22nd September
Meeting at 10.00 am in the Barrack Room situated in Enniskillen Castle Courtyard.
Registration and Welcome
Sorrel Wills Workshop, participants will meet Sorrel in the Barrack Room
All other participants will chose where they want to paint. Catherine McKeever will be there to answer any queries
4.00pm Return to Castle Courtyard to view paintings and opportunity to sell paintings.
5pm-9pm culture night is taking place in the Castle Courtyard which participants are welcome to stay for.
Saturday 23rd September
10.00 am Participants for Workshop by Neal Greig meet at the Barrack Room in Enniskillen Castle Courtyard.
Catherine McKeever will be in the Barrack room between 10.00-10.30 to answer any queries.
4.00 pm Return to Castle Courtyard to view paintings and opportunity to sell
Sunday 24th September
10.00 am Participants for Denise Ferran Workshop meet at the Barrack Room in Enniskillen Castle Courtyard.
Catherine McKeever will be in the Barrack Room between 10.00-10.30 to answer any queries.
4.00 pm Return to the Castle Courtyard to view paintings and opportunity to sell.
We are so looking forward to seeing you there!!
Our Featured Artists during the course of the event
We were delighted to offer day workshops by three acclaimed artists;- Denise Ferran PPRUA, Neil Greig ARUA and Sorrel Wills PP USWA.
Scroll down to learn more about them. We were so pleased they came to join us and enrich the experience of the weekend, enabling participants to further their development and skills in plein air painting and drawing.
Scroll down to learn more about them. We were so pleased they came to join us and enrich the experience of the weekend, enabling participants to further their development and skills in plein air painting and drawing.
Denise Ferran PPRUA, USWA, UWS
Workshop with Dr Denise Ferran
This workshop will be suitable for the absolute beginner or the seasoned landscape painter. Most importantly it will be fun.
I plan to bring a selection of my landscape paintings to aid the initial discussion and stimulate questions on the range of colours and brushes to get us started. Bring any water based paints, watercolours, gouche and acrylics and separate watercolour pads or canvases or both.
I use a restricted palette usually for landscapes: earthy colours such as yellow ochre, Vandyke brown and paynes grey; natural greens such as viridian and sap green and cadmium yellow for sunlit areas: blues such as cerulean and cobalt blue.
I use titanium white when using acrylics.
There is no need for black as a mixture of Vandyke brown and cobalt blue will result in a dark velvety hue. Bring water jars and water containers for frequent change of water. Bring a board, blockboard or ply or strong card, aas large as the paper you plan to work on. Kitchen paper or a toilet roll, are also useful for blotting off excess paint or removing it entirely.
Feel free if you want to sketch the scene first and then add paint or you may want to make a finished drawing and then begin a separate painting. Useful Pencils are a B and a 2B if you want to use pencil for sketching in the layout of the scene. Darker pencils up to 8B are useful if you are making a finished tonal drawing but not if you want to use watercolour or gouache or even acrylic. Hard pencils such as F or HB are for very fine detail. Bring an eraser or rubber. Some artists will simply sketch with a fine paintbrush and a weak solution of yellow ochre or paynes grey. Coloured pencils which react to water, such as Caran-d’ache are useful in producing a quick colour sketch of a scene.
Brushes suitable for watercolour painting are usually round, Nos 8, 4 & 2 are useful for brushing in broad areas of colour and for scumbling and the tip of small sizes can be used for fine line work and small dots of colour. ½ inch and 1 inch decorator brushes are cheap and useful for loading paint and covering large areas of your canvas or sheet of paper.,
Photography can be a very useful tool for backup when you return to your studio or for detail or if coping in inclement weather. Now our mobile phones are more than adequate to capture the scene we are capturing.
We wont be using charcoal or inks unless you specifically want to.
As each proceeds with his/her work observe how warm colours against cool colours can give a sense of depth. Negative shapes are important and an interesting test is to hold your work up against a mirror to observe if the negative shapes are registering correctly.
I plan to choose a view, which will incorporate some buildings so perspective will be considered. The ground level is where you are seated and the height of your eyes is eye level, which also corresponds with the horizon. The point on the horizon, in front of you is the centre of vision. The vanishing points for all lines that recede at right angles from the picture plane, coincide with the centre of vision.
Some artists use their pencil to gauge right angles, others use a viewfinder, others use a pair of L shaped brackets. Other artists have an inbuilt ability to place a building in perspective, in scale and uprightly stable. However, a suggestion of a building can often suffice with suffused lighting, which often permeates Lough Erne.
Denise Ferran Sept Pasi President RUA Honary Member of Ulster Society of Women Artists, Member of Ulster Water colour Society 2023
"I am delighted to return to my home town of Enniskillen as one of the Guest Artists to help facilitate this very special Plein Air Weekend in such stunning surroundings.It brings me great joy to revisit the beautiful Fermanagh Lakelands, where arts and artists have flourished for decades.We have many internationally renowned Fermanagh Artists As a student and close friend of the late TP Flanagan the landscape and waterways have always inspired me.My committment to Fermanagh continues through Festivals and as Art Historian working closely with Enniskillen Castle Museums and with HRUA member Mavis Thomson on her new book of combined artworks and accompanying poems called Coloured thoughts.
This plein air weekend is a welcome opportunity to explore the natural and built Heritage and reconnect with good friends and artlovers.This promises to be a truly special weekend for me and for all who join us. I have always been keen to support both emerging as well as established artists.As a former Art Educationalist and Art Historian encouraging the absolute beginner too, has been one of my passions.Delighted to be invited by back by Noelle Mc Alinden as one of the distinguished Guest Artists and as Honorary Member of Ulster Society of Women Artists and Past President of the Royal Ulster Academy and Member of The Ulster Watercolour Society, thrilled to be promoting the power of art in the outdoors,building creative partnerships across Education,Arts,Business and Tourism."
Denise Ferran Past President RUA, Honorary Member Ulster Society of Women Artists USWA,Member of Ulster Water Colour Society
This workshop will be suitable for the absolute beginner or the seasoned landscape painter. Most importantly it will be fun.
I plan to bring a selection of my landscape paintings to aid the initial discussion and stimulate questions on the range of colours and brushes to get us started. Bring any water based paints, watercolours, gouche and acrylics and separate watercolour pads or canvases or both.
I use a restricted palette usually for landscapes: earthy colours such as yellow ochre, Vandyke brown and paynes grey; natural greens such as viridian and sap green and cadmium yellow for sunlit areas: blues such as cerulean and cobalt blue.
I use titanium white when using acrylics.
There is no need for black as a mixture of Vandyke brown and cobalt blue will result in a dark velvety hue. Bring water jars and water containers for frequent change of water. Bring a board, blockboard or ply or strong card, aas large as the paper you plan to work on. Kitchen paper or a toilet roll, are also useful for blotting off excess paint or removing it entirely.
Feel free if you want to sketch the scene first and then add paint or you may want to make a finished drawing and then begin a separate painting. Useful Pencils are a B and a 2B if you want to use pencil for sketching in the layout of the scene. Darker pencils up to 8B are useful if you are making a finished tonal drawing but not if you want to use watercolour or gouache or even acrylic. Hard pencils such as F or HB are for very fine detail. Bring an eraser or rubber. Some artists will simply sketch with a fine paintbrush and a weak solution of yellow ochre or paynes grey. Coloured pencils which react to water, such as Caran-d’ache are useful in producing a quick colour sketch of a scene.
Brushes suitable for watercolour painting are usually round, Nos 8, 4 & 2 are useful for brushing in broad areas of colour and for scumbling and the tip of small sizes can be used for fine line work and small dots of colour. ½ inch and 1 inch decorator brushes are cheap and useful for loading paint and covering large areas of your canvas or sheet of paper.,
Photography can be a very useful tool for backup when you return to your studio or for detail or if coping in inclement weather. Now our mobile phones are more than adequate to capture the scene we are capturing.
We wont be using charcoal or inks unless you specifically want to.
As each proceeds with his/her work observe how warm colours against cool colours can give a sense of depth. Negative shapes are important and an interesting test is to hold your work up against a mirror to observe if the negative shapes are registering correctly.
I plan to choose a view, which will incorporate some buildings so perspective will be considered. The ground level is where you are seated and the height of your eyes is eye level, which also corresponds with the horizon. The point on the horizon, in front of you is the centre of vision. The vanishing points for all lines that recede at right angles from the picture plane, coincide with the centre of vision.
Some artists use their pencil to gauge right angles, others use a viewfinder, others use a pair of L shaped brackets. Other artists have an inbuilt ability to place a building in perspective, in scale and uprightly stable. However, a suggestion of a building can often suffice with suffused lighting, which often permeates Lough Erne.
Denise Ferran Sept Pasi President RUA Honary Member of Ulster Society of Women Artists, Member of Ulster Water colour Society 2023
"I am delighted to return to my home town of Enniskillen as one of the Guest Artists to help facilitate this very special Plein Air Weekend in such stunning surroundings.It brings me great joy to revisit the beautiful Fermanagh Lakelands, where arts and artists have flourished for decades.We have many internationally renowned Fermanagh Artists As a student and close friend of the late TP Flanagan the landscape and waterways have always inspired me.My committment to Fermanagh continues through Festivals and as Art Historian working closely with Enniskillen Castle Museums and with HRUA member Mavis Thomson on her new book of combined artworks and accompanying poems called Coloured thoughts.
This plein air weekend is a welcome opportunity to explore the natural and built Heritage and reconnect with good friends and artlovers.This promises to be a truly special weekend for me and for all who join us. I have always been keen to support both emerging as well as established artists.As a former Art Educationalist and Art Historian encouraging the absolute beginner too, has been one of my passions.Delighted to be invited by back by Noelle Mc Alinden as one of the distinguished Guest Artists and as Honorary Member of Ulster Society of Women Artists and Past President of the Royal Ulster Academy and Member of The Ulster Watercolour Society, thrilled to be promoting the power of art in the outdoors,building creative partnerships across Education,Arts,Business and Tourism."
Denise Ferran Past President RUA, Honorary Member Ulster Society of Women Artists USWA,Member of Ulster Water Colour Society
Neal Greig ARUA
I was delighted to be invited by Noelle Mc Alinden and The Ulster Society of Women Artists to facilitate in this unique Enniskillen Island Town Plein Air opportunity with Artists Sorrel Wills & Dr Denise Ferran.
The elemental qualities of beautiful Enniskillen are beckoning to be painted. Where the earth,air, water and hopefully sunshine combine.I'm looking forward to sharing my passion for Plein Air Painting and my practice with art enthusiasts.I will also be bringing some of my paintings too.
I give demonstrations on location which I find the best method for illustrating the practicalities of working outside.
I like to show how I mix colour using a limited palette.
Develop a strong composition with charcoal drawing.
Application of paint using a breadth of innovative, problem solving techniques.Using a variety of tools and brushes.
Using gestural mark making and wet on wet technique.
I will talk about use of colour, mediums and surfaces.
I often bring samples of my own work which is a good way to discuss some of the methods I employ.
See below, my biography
Neal Greig ARUA
Studio
Seaveagh, Glaslough County Monaghan.
www.nealgreig.com
Neal Greig was born in Belfast in 1965. He studied BA Hons in Fine Art at Edinburgh College of Art from 1983 -1987 then went on to a Post Graduate in Drawing and Painting 1988 – 1989 he was awarded The Andrew Grant Scholarship for Post Graduate Study.
1991 he was Artist in Residence at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre .
Neal has been awarded residencies .
The Vermont Studio Centre Fellowship in Vermont USA ,
Ballinglen Fellowship,
O’Reardon House Fogo Island Newfoundland ,
Invited Artist with Ontario Art Society Field Trip,
Cill Raillig Art Studios.
The Admiral Studio Residency Island of Skye2022
Selected Exhibitions Fidra Fine Art Scotland October 2022 Gormleys Fine Art Dublin October 2020, Solas Art Gallery 2022
Neal has exhibited widely in Ireland most recent one person exhibition in the Claremorris Contemporary Gallery Mayo 2019 , Doorway Gallery Dublin, Gormelys Fine Art Belfast ,Custom House Studios Mayo and in June 2017 Alley Art Centre Strabane Claremorris Contemporary Fine Art, He has also exhibited in Chicago at the Lyon Fine Art, Fidra Fine Art Scotland, Compass Gallery Glasgow and Barbara Stanley Gallery London. He has had many group exhibitions most recent , The Hammond Gallery , Gormelys Fine Art. Chimera Gallery Mullingar.
2021 Awarded Arts Council of Ireland Agility Award.
In 2013 Greig exhibited in the Royal Academy Annual Summer Exhibition London and has exhibited in the Royal Ulster Academy on several occasions.
2018 Neal Greig was elected to the Royal Ulster Academy.
In 2011 Neal received the Pollock Krasner Award from the Foundation in New York.
Plein Air Masterclasses
Art Tutor Coney Island Workshops
Art Tutor Ontario Society of Artists
Art Tutor ArtForm Dunmore East
Art Tutor Belvedere House West Meath
Art Tutor Dublin Plein Air
Royal Ulster Academy Masterclasses Landscape in oils.
He has worked on a variety of community art projects Selected Workshops , Portrait of A Village Creative Ireland 2018/19 Monaghan Youth Project, Mullaghmat Breakfast Club Recycling Project.
He has received various commissions , The Patrick Kavanagh Bicentenary Monaghan County Museum, Queens University Department of Palaeoecology .
Neal has worked Artist in Prison scheme through the Arts Council of Ireland.
His work is held in Public Collections
The Arts Council of Northern Ireland ,
Corporate and Private Collections .Office of Public Works , Boyle Civic Collection, AIB Bank , Limerick County Council ,Bank of Ireland, Beaumont Hospital, ACC Bank , Mayo County Council, Monaghan County Museum. Donegal County Council , The Northern Ireland Arts Council Collection , Royal Ulster Academy Collection.
Neal Greig was in the Irish Arts Review magazine in 2016 for his one person show Wild Spaces in the Claremorris Fine Art, he has received reviews in various publications , Clef Note Chicago , Irish Times , VAI Magazine, Harpers Magazine, Ulster Tatler. Queens university Magazine, Irish Independent. Ireland Country Magazine , The Sunday Times is 2020
www.nealgreig.com
Sorrel Wills PPUSWA
I was delighted to contribute as a guest artist in this first Enniskillen Plein Air weekend. Enniskillen is such a picturesque Island Town. Sketching and painting it is a fabulous way to explore it and celebrate it. I love the spontaneity of plein air, capturing a view before the light in the day changes.
I am a Past President of USWA and I have taught many plein air classes since the end of the lock-downs, where participants have been excited to paint en plein air, and refreshed by being outside in nature. I love to paint outside as there is not time to get too tight in my work. Not all paintings come out exactly as I'd wish, but sometimes, the joy of the view comes through in the painting which is very satisfying, and great fun. My favorite media are oils or soft pastels. I am thrilled that a painting of mine, which was begun en plein air, was commissioned by Antrim and Newtownabbey Council to be presented to King Charles and Queen Camilla at the opening of the New Coronation Garden in Hazelbank Park, Newtownabbey, in May 2023.
In my workshop, I go through how I chose a composition, select colours, especially greens, suitable for the chosen scene and also consider the mood I would like to create, based on the prevailing light. I start with a demonstration then help participants get started, helping with use of drawing, colour, mark-making, and techniques I find useful if dealing with changing conditions. I will be working in oils, but the thought processes are helpful for all mediums. I'll bring along some examples of past work as well, to talk through those paintings' journeys. All levels of experience are welcome.
www.sorrelwillsart.com
I am a Past President of USWA and I have taught many plein air classes since the end of the lock-downs, where participants have been excited to paint en plein air, and refreshed by being outside in nature. I love to paint outside as there is not time to get too tight in my work. Not all paintings come out exactly as I'd wish, but sometimes, the joy of the view comes through in the painting which is very satisfying, and great fun. My favorite media are oils or soft pastels. I am thrilled that a painting of mine, which was begun en plein air, was commissioned by Antrim and Newtownabbey Council to be presented to King Charles and Queen Camilla at the opening of the New Coronation Garden in Hazelbank Park, Newtownabbey, in May 2023.
In my workshop, I go through how I chose a composition, select colours, especially greens, suitable for the chosen scene and also consider the mood I would like to create, based on the prevailing light. I start with a demonstration then help participants get started, helping with use of drawing, colour, mark-making, and techniques I find useful if dealing with changing conditions. I will be working in oils, but the thought processes are helpful for all mediums. I'll bring along some examples of past work as well, to talk through those paintings' journeys. All levels of experience are welcome.
www.sorrelwillsart.com