Pleinapril Adventures 2, Multitasking Boogaloo

In which Pleinapril continues, deadlines loom, and a flat tire makes me grateful for the small things in life

Happy late April,

We’re nearing the end of April, where tax season is past and the pollen is PRESENT. It’s crazy how fast a month goes by when you’re busy and boy has this month been bustling. Between working on different projects, balancing life stuff, and trying to get my paintings in, April has been packed with some wild times.
For those who want to see where this painting journey began, check out the 1st post HERE

Like many freelance illustrators I have had days where I don’t have the time to paint, whether it be I’m too busy or the fact I’m not feeling it. My 3 years out of art school have taught me that it’s better to rest and try again later rather than try to force something you’re really not feeling. You might be fine forcing it once, but when you make it a pattern, you’re kindling the fire to your next burn out.

Because I rested and abided by my chill rules, there came days where I was itching to paint more than one piece. Some extra pieces came from inspiration at the nature I was seeing, while some just came from that “paintbug” you get when the gouache hits the paper just right.

Along with having multiple paintings per one day, I also used more photo references for this cluster of work. I made sure to take my own photos and to reference them somewhat close to the painting day. Contrary to popular belief, painting from photographs (especially those taken by you) can lend new insights to your painting process you never even realized. While it may be easier to match a composition to a photograph 1 to 1, I found myself playing with colors and abstraction more than I normally would painting in person. The still, static images allowed me (almost encouraged me) to expand past what was captured on a camera and to pull out the subtleties from my memory and experimentation.

Overall the last few weeks allowed me to have some fun and be less rigid with my paintings, this challenge, and life in general. Plus, having your whole schedule thrown out of whack thanks to a flat tire and finding the inspiration to paint while waiting for roadside assistance really gives you perspective on how small our worries can actually be.

April 10th: The sun was sinking into the horizon and left the environment outside my studio in this beautiful purple hue riddled with hints of orange from the streetlights. I knew it wouldn’t last very long so I took a picture to try and capture the beauty enough for me to paint it.

April 11: I got to visit my friend Sammy Kovnat in her lovely workspace in BOK Studio located in South Philly. I was so enthralled with her studio that I took some pictures for reference to paint later. A beautiful thing about the artist community is the exchange of inspiration from one to another.

April 13th & 15th: Miscellaneous photos taken within that week of mid April. I liked the golden hues of the neighborhood and the grand mood of the clouds.

April 16th: This was a particularly beautiful day where all the trees were growing fresh green leaves and the flowering trees were in full bloom so I was inspired to paint two paintings! The first was finished when it was cloudy and the foliage on the hills looked almost purple from the grey atmospheric perspective. The 2nd one I tried to capture a glorious Kwanzan cherry basking in the recently uncovered afternoon sun.

April 17th: The April sun was shining so bright that the yard becaming a brilliant collection of yellows and greens. I painted the planks of wood in person and took a break inside to quickly paint the second from a picture. I could still feel the warmth of the sun and the brisk wind as I painted from the photograph.

April 18th: On my errand run I got a flat tire! I was able to park in a gas station but it would end up being 2 hours until roadside assistance came to help me. (They said it would take an hour at max) In the time I was waiting I thought why not paint, as I had my painting supplies in my car. It made the wait a lot better and made me appreciate the small bits of nature around an unassuming gas station. While I wanted this day to be a productive one where I tackled all my deadlines, sometimes life just comes in and you have to take it in stride.

April 20th: My friend Jean and I went for a walk/ birdwatching adventure in Pennypack park. It was the perfect day as the leaves glistened all shades of green and the water sparkled with bold blues under the late morning sun. We wanted to keep exploring rather than sit down for a painting so I made some sketches onsite to paint in detail later.

April 22nd & April 23rd: While green is my favorite color, I was finding myself becoming bored with the same old hues so I referenced a picture I took April 1st for the April 22nd painting. It was right before a big hailstorm so the clouds were striking and foreboding. The April 23rd reference came from a walk in Valley Forge on that Sunday. The memories of the environment were crisper and the greens were not the same bright green I had been working with as of late.

Thank you for all the support on these paintings so far! Expect a mini post for the remaining few paintings! If you feel so inclined, subscribe to see upcoming posts, share with your friends, or leave a comment on how April has been treating you.

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EXTRA RESOURCES:

• There have been some artists who have been making stunning plein-air paintings for Pleinapril this year. Check out their work if you have some time to spare!

  • Danielle Bennett
    has been killing this challenge with her choices of colors and compositions. Check out her SUBSTACK POST, and INSTAGRAM

  • Pablo Rivera has been making vibrant digital pleinapril paintings that mix photo reference with imaginative flair. Check out his INSTAGRAM

  • Laura Bifano has been painting gorgeous, stylized gouache paintings that knock all the socks off. Check out her INSTAGRAM

• Liked what you saw of Sammy Kovnat’s studio? Check out her work on her WEBSITE and INSTAGRAM . She’s one of the coolest multidisciplinary artists in Philly and one of the sweetest as well!

• Jean Wei, my park walk buddy is an incredible Philly illustrator and cartoonist who makes crisp designs, compositions, animations and comics! Check out her work on her WEBSITE and INSTAGRAM or TWITTER