It is a fact that art brings people from different walks of life together, and I believe that creating art does the same magic, too!
Hi there, wholesome reader!
Making art is, for me, a very personal experience itself, an undertaking just between me and my canvas (or my iPad for my digital arts). But, one day, a friend of mine invited me to do art together. And I felt like I had never been more excited in life!
What is Plein Air Painting?
Simply put, plein air painting is painting outdoors.
Plein air painting is about leaving the four walls of your studio behind and experiencing painting and drawing in the landscape. The practice goes back for centuries but was truly made into an art form by the French Impressionists. Their desire to paint light and its changing, ephemeral qualities, coupled with the creation of transportable paint tubes and the box easel—the precursor to the plein air easels of today—allowed artists the freedom to paint “en plein air,” which is the French expression for “in the open air.”
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We originally planned to wait for the sun to rise by the sea since there’s a nearby boardwalk park that’s convenient for both of us and we'll try to paint the scenery. However, my friend, Abi, was not able to wake up early. I felt a bit sad at that time as I thought that our plans won’t push through.
When Abi woke up and messaged me, we decided to go on a spontaneous hike up Pangilatan Peak. This was the second time I hiked up this peak. The first one was with my workmates which I also shared with you on one of my previous posts.
Since this is already my second time and it was also not Abi’s first time up this place, it was easy for us to navigate and reach the peak.
We were the only ones at the peak and felt like we owned everything that was within sight. Such a perfect timing to take in all the scenery and draw out a lot of inspiration for our painting session.
We found a little shade under a small tree and settled there. We laid out our art materials and began painting.
It took me a while to start painting as I wanted to just stare blankly at what's in front of me. Truly, nature has its own way of healing anything!
After a while, I decided to paint the plant that was growing under the tree. Against the sunlight, its leaves caught my attention in its yellowish glow.
As I fully indulged myself into my own painting, I realized that I have not seen Abi's painting yet. When I turned around and looked at her work, I was amazed and was deeply touched.
Abi painted a picture of me painting, with the beautiful view of the mountains in the background! It felt amazing to be someone else's muse for a painting.
Maybe an hour has passed by (I lost track of time), I decided to keep my work unfinished. I easily got distracted with how peaceful the place felt like and wanted to enjoy more of the feeling.
I have mixed emotions about how my painting turned out. The subject I chose required a lot of detail work and as I've said, I got distracted with the view. I expected a lot from myself and knew that I can finish it if I just made effective use of time. However, it is undeniable that I completely felt happy while I painted my piece.
Abi and I agreed that this would not be the last time we're painting outdoors. And we look forward to planning our next plein air painting session soon! So, to anyone who's interested to come with us next time and is just within Cebu, feel free to comment on this post or message me so we can meet up and do art together! Sounds fun, right? 😉
Thank you for reading my post up to this point. I hope you have a great time ahead!
I'll take delight in writing for you again soon.
Love,
Sam ♡
Hello, in case you have not read my intro post, my name is Samantha. You may call me Sam for short. I am from Cebu, a beautiful island in the Philippines. I created this space in an attempt to put all the good things in one place, thus, my blog name @wholesamdiaries.
If you wish to show appreciation; an upvote, comment, reblog and/or follow is the way! Thank you once again and see you around! ♡