Challenging painting - winter painting in Shetland
Painting outside in Shetland brings its own challenges and I offer the
following advice to anybody that wants to work outside in the northern
hemisphere. Read more about painting in "challenging" weather.
- Always tape your paper to a heavy board on all four edges. The slightest
gap will see it torn and blown away.
- Have a pile of stones ready to weight everything down.
- Even a slight lump in the ground can give enough shelter to protect
the surface of the page from the worst of the wind.
- Do not be afraid of the elements. Painting outside is all about capturing
the elements so if sand or sea gets blown on to your picture fear not because
it is perfectly in keeping with the subject matter. Likewise with frost
or rain. If you work with the elements and not fight against them, they
and help your work along.
- Charcoal is good in the rain so is oil paint, but the logistics of carrying
a wet oil painting in a force eight gale can make it a messy business.
- Keep every thing as low as possible. If you do have to stand up with
big pictures make sure the wind can blow it like a flap rather than trying
to hold the picture into the wind because this will send you flying to
the ground.
- Primed boards are more suitable than canvas for working outside in strong
wind.
- Wear the right clothes. I now use a Norwegian survival suit that keeps
me toasty warm even in winter gales. Do not breath too much cold damp air
in day after day, last winter after three full days painting on the beach
with sometimes driving hail I came down with pleurisy, so it is worth wrapping
a scarf around your mouth.
- Finally enjoy it because it is exhilarating and exciting working out
side in such a fantastic place as Shetland.
Read more about how I view painting
in Shetland.
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