Short Plein Air Demo from Appalachian State University by Bernie Rosage Jr.

There's a small park in the center of campus at Appalachian State University (ASU) in Boone, North Carolina that is one of my favorite spots to paint en plein aire. My wife dropped me off with easel and painting gear in hand buying me two hours time while she took the kids to the library. The weather was clear and warm for Boone in late December... around 55 degrees... perfect painting weather!

I positioned myself along a walking path in the park with a great view of the campus bell tower... my focal point.

I met many nice folks walking and jogging along the path... it's a wonder I finished the painting before my wife returned with the numerous conversations I had. Knowing the short time frame I had to work with I had to do some mental editing and only included the

elements necessary to make the piece work compositionally.

Stage 1... First I sketched a "rule of thirds" grid to help position the focal point on my panel. I then began to block in the important shapes with burnt sienna and ultra marine thinned with odorless mineral spirits.

Stage 2... I began to block in with more opaque paint defining the shapes and values more. I mixed Liquin Impasto Gel with all my pigment mixtures to speed drying times knowing I would be transporting this one back to the coast in a Honda CRV packed to it's gills with luggage, kids, and two cats.

Stage 3... I began working in some detail. Note my editing consisted of leaving out a few trees and the gazebo. Often times you know when something in a painting just isn't working... that's how it was with the evergreen tree on the left for me. My evergreen looked more like a sycamore giving half the painting a visual tension with the bare tree on the right... it was as if I had two seasons (summer and winter) within one painting.

Stage 4... With that said... the best thing to do was wipe it out... I could have licked it to death trying to fix it but I learned sometime back it is better for me to wipe it clean and start fresh. Many times the plein air painter has to wipe his whole panel clean... we call that a "scrapper".

Stage 5... Adding more detail and refining areas. My palette for this painting consisted of cad lemon yellow, cad yellow medium, yellow ocher, terra rosa, burnt sienna, alizarin crimson, viridian, cerulean blue, ultra marine blue, and titanium white.

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Stage 6.... The Finished work... just in time... my wife showed up just as I was signing it.

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Click on image to see a larger view...

"ASU Bell Tower"... 8x6" Oil on Panel, alla prima en plein aire, 12-30-2008.

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This original oil painting by American Artist, Bernie Rosage Jr. is available for purchase... email Bernie with the title in the subject line... click HERE... for price and details...

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Packing up and looking forward to the next plein air adventure... Hope you enjoyed this short demo.... Happy New Year!

Bernie

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Here's another plein air demo I did in 2005 in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains that you may glean some info from: Impressionistic Demo by Bernie Rosage Jr.

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Blue Ridge Series comes to an end... until next time!

Here's the last in my Blue Ridge Plein Air series... until next trip... ;)

"The Ridge"... Blue Ridge Plein Air #6... Fleetwood, NC
6x8" Oil on Panel, en plein aire, 11-22, 2007 (Thanksgiving Day).
Purchased by a patron in Germany who misses the Blue Ridge Mountains...




I woke early Thanksgiving morning and decided to get at least one more plein air painting in before my family arrived later that morning. This scene is set on Fleetwood Mountain near our lodge on The Ridge. We walk this road everyday for exercise and I wanted to capture it before it is scattered with mountain homes. I got to met several people as they were enjoying their daily walks as well. Thanksgiving Day brought my family, and the COLD weather! It was 60 degrees when I painted this one... later that evening it was snowing!

Thanks for looking...
Merry Christmas everyone!
Bernie

Another Blue Ridge Plein Air by Bernie Rosage Jr.

"Blue Ridge View"... Blue Ridge Plein Air #5, Fleetwood, NC

6x8" Oil on Panel, en plein aire, 11-21-2007.

This original oil painting is available for purchase at eBay via auction... click here...

This peaceful scene is set just below our mountain lodge. Two days earlier I set out to paint this scene in the late afternoon... As I got to the foot of the hill I heard two gunshots (rather close I might add) so I decided to wait. I could just see the headlines now... "Plein air painter mistaken for deer!" While painting this one I saw wild turkeys, a white tail deer, and a Pleated woodpecker. An awesome time spent communing with nature.

My Plein Air Adventure in the Blue Ridge Mountains!

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Blue Ridge saga by Bernie Rosage Jr. continues...

"A Misty View of Todd Island"... Blue Ridge Plein Air #4, Todd, NC
6x8" Oil on Panel, en plein aire, 11-20-2007.

This original oil painting is available for purchase at eBay via auction... click here...

I woke up early as usual on Wednesday the 21st. The mist was everywhere... wanting to capture it I headed down Fleetwood Mountain and along Railroad Grade Road and the New River to find the perfect spot. I set up along the banks looking into the rising sun as it back-lit the mist and silhouetted the trees in the scene. Here I am looking toward Todd Island that I mentioned in Plein Air #1.

My Plein Air Adventure in the Blue Ridge Mountains!

Winter Lane from Blue Ridge Series by Bernie Rosage Jr.

"Blue Ridge Lane in the Winter"... Blue Ridge Plein Air #3, Todd, NC

5x7" Oil on Panel, en plein aire, 11-20-2007.

This original oil painting is available for purchase at eBay via auction... click here...

I was attracted to the light in this simple scene and how the bare winter trees seemed to glow on the shadow side of the hill. This small piece was captured near the banks of the New River, near Todd, North Carolina, as the afternoon sun was in its golden splendor. I overemphasized the small road that was there... something about country lanes and roads... I find them so inviting and peaceful. Anyone who has collected my work recognizes them as a common theme.

...read all about my adventures here... My Plein Air Adventure in the Blue Ridge Mountains!

Thanks for looking...

Bernie

Railroad Grade Road... Blue Ridge Series by Bernie Rosage Jr.

As promised... I want to share more plein air work from my recent trip to the Blue Ridge... read all about my adventures here... My Plein Air Adventure in the Blue Ridge Mountains!

"Railroad Grade Road"... Blue Ridge Plein Air #1, Todd, NC...

8x10" Oil on panel, en plein aire, 11-19-2007.

This original oil painting is available for purchase at eBay via auction... click here...

In this scene I headed along Railroad Grade Road trying to narrow down one of a hundred beautiful spots to paint from. I found a view of a barn (I have painted several times) from Todd Island... a small island park in the middle of the South Fork Branch of the New River near Todd, NC. This old barn has so much character... I never tire of painting it! The weather was mild and clear for most of the week... except this day... I painted this one in a cold drizzle. After almost two hours... the cold drizzle turned into a downpour and I RAN to the car with painting (95% complete) in hand. I finished it in the comfort of a warm lodge and hot coffee.

Thanks for dropping by...

Bernie

Lin Cove Viaduct by Bernie Rosage Jr.

I'd like to introduce myself and say thank you to each artist here for accepting me into your plein air guild. You all are a talented group and I am honored to be among your ranks. My name is Bernie Rosage Jr. and I have a passion for painting... especially en plein aire. I recently returned from a week long trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains where I spent most of the time plein air painting. I will share those works with you over the next couple of weeks... here's one to start the show... the Lin Cove Viaduct.
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I painted the scene from Rough Ridge Lookout (mile marker 302 on the Blue Ridge Parkway). Rough Ridge is actually the backside of Grandfather Mountain and has some spectacular views... here's one...
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I was about half way up the ridge painting from a wooden lookout. The weather was very comfortable for late November but the wind was gusting at 40 mph at times... I had paintbrush in one hand and steadied my easel with the other.
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"The Lin Cove Viaduct... a view from Rough Ridge"... 9x12" Oil on Panel, en plein aire, 11-2007.
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This painting is for a invitational gallery show in January 2008. The show... titled, "North Carolina Landscapes... from the Mountains to the Sea"... will be at the Baysden Gallery in Jacksonville, NC where several local artists will be featured.
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Check out my other work here:
Artistic Release: "Alla Prima" Oil Paintings
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Learn more about me here:
Meet the Artist
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Thanks again SPAP for letting me join your ranks... I'm honored to be here.
Bernie