An idea for Plein Aire Artists

An idea for plein aire artists. I shudder a little when I think of some of you freezing to death doing those beautiful scenes out in the snow and cold wind. There is a terrific Scottish pastoral painter of the late 19th and early 20th century who solved this problem nicely, and he painted plein aire in the worst weather. Can't remember his name but it began with F. He outfitted a common or typical farm wagon with sides and top and a lage window and fixed it up as a traveling studio, equipped with a small stove that he heated ( probably with coal or perhaps with whale oil or maby kerosene) and pulled it around with a team of horses to his painting site. Many of you could do the same with a four wheel pick-up and the expense wouldn't be too great. I think you could find a suitable used pick-up cheap enough. Another idea would be to pitch a tent on site and equip it with a heater and smoke stack. Better, you could use a mid sized kerosene heater and put a vent hole in the tent. Those little heaters put out a lot of heat!! You may have to use a little enginuity to install a window but it could be done.

I think I've seen an illustration of his painting cart, but a quick tour of the internet didn't come up with it. How's this for an idea?

Callie, that is one of those ice fishing huts the ice fishermen use up north and I think it or something like it would work just fine. I see that this one comes with all the comforts of home, I think I even see a kitchen in there!! But I think a plein aire painter would want something a little smaller. But that definitely is the idea.

After some more thought, I think I would build my own. I would build a square box on the pick-up with windows on three sides and a door with a window, then put a flat roof on it and a stove pipe or vent pipe, and just leave the thing on the pick-up year around. For more out of the way places I sould use a light weight, fabric fishing hut or one of those emergency huts. Of couse if you are loaded you could buy one of those half tracks like they use in Alaska or up in Yellowstone. There are pick-up bed pop ups for under $500.00. But you would have to figure out how you could install glass windows once you had it up. I don't think you could paint through plastic, not very well any way.

I did read in Sean Dyes book of an artist that paints inside his car.

Callie, That's quite the ice shack. The deluxe version.

Linus, I think building your own would be a good idea then you can make to the specs that you feel are important.

The more I think about it, there really isn't much reason not to have some warm weather protection and still be able to paint - unless you are out in the middle of a river or up in the top of the most rugged mts you can imagine. It would just take a little thought and a few dollars. I have seen pictures of folks doning plein aire within walking distance of a good road or drive or solid track, freezing to death when it isn't necessary. And surely the painting would go better if you were a little warmer. You can use all sorts of transportation to haul your gear - trucks, an old car, a tractor, a snowmobile, a horse, the back of a companion. You can use some of these to pull a sleigh or tobbogan or wagon, you can pull a sleigh or tobbogan yourself loaded with your gear - better than carrying it. Just ideas.

I have thought about painting from the back of my car (Volvo Wagon). I could flip the back up and stay under it - even sit in the back to keep my feet off the frozen ground. As long as it wasn't too windy, I think it might do.

I have a small RV with a big back window by the kitchen table. That might be a good place to give it a try, of course, most of the time I am away from cold weather, but it is a thought.

Judy

There you go, try it out, take a drive out into the hills. At least it will keep you out of the dust and rain. You can always get someone to put in a larger window or even add windows.

Callie, your Volvo should keep you comfortable at temps above 30 degrees fahrenheit, as long as the sun is out. It would certainly warmer than being out in the air.

Callie, the artist was the Scottish Laird Joseph Farquharson. You can find him in Wikipedia. And he did just as I said. He built a wagon and equipped it with a stove and a glass window and he painted in the harshest weather. He was pretty famous by the way and his work is worth viewing and studying. The Scotts and the British had quite a few landscape and pastoral artists active in the 19th and early 20th centuries whose works are well worth viewing, they are wonderful.

I looked at his paintings and he was a wonderful artist. My favorite was this one:

Wow. The painting is fantastic. It makes me want to take my RV to northern Arizona towhere there snow all over and paint a winter scene. Judy

Wikipedia said he actually painted out doors in his mobile studio during actual snow storms!!! I guess he had his studio fitted with skiis for that!! I found a site that had about a dozen of his works. His father ( maby an uncle) who was also a pastoral painter.

I guess when we can paint like that we have arrived!! But he wasn't the greatest of the U.K. /Scottish pastoral and landscape painters. At least by popular acclaim. Guess I went off topic.

Oh. I think I just drooled on my keyboard. What amazing lighting

I'm glad you introduced us to such great painter and that Janet found such a beautiful painting even if it was off topic.

Judy

What an amazing painting! I'm glad you (Linus) found his name and posted that.