By Tyler Wright
Members of the Ringwood Art Society (RAS) soaked in the scenery at The Basin Centennial Garden yesterday during their Plein Air paint out session, nurturing both their art and souls.
13 artists, hailing from around the eastern suburbs including towns such as Ferny Creek and Olinda, used pastels, acrylics and watercolour to produce realistic and impressionist works.
“There’s a couple of us who are more experienced than others, and we try to help each other as part of the ethos of the group, which is a wonderful spirit to have in a Society like this where we’re all helping each other to improve,” RAS Vice President Lyn Kosmer said.
The Plein Air process, requiring the artist to step into the landscape and immerse themselves in nature, is a “go-to” for strengthening artistic skills, Lyn said.
“You have to actually paint reasonably quickly to get the atmosphere and the light because it changes, and sometimes at different times of the year, it changes every five minutes. So you’ve got to really work quickly and almost intuitively to get the feeling of the moment.”
“Instead of just walking past as part of a walking program or hiking – with plein air painting, you’re sitting in one spot and absorbing everything in that landscape and it’s heightened; having your antenna open to all the things that are around you.”
The Ringwood Art Society is also home to weekly portraiture sessions where participants draw inspiration from a live model and operate out of the Maroondah Federation Estate in Ringwood.
“They’ve got fabulous facilities there for the galleries and great spaces that we use for the classes with tutored and untutored areas,” Lyn said.
“We do get around, and the group is very popular because of its camaraderie, as well as the reliability of the organisation of it and the fact it’s good for your painting skills.”
For those wanting to get involved, information can be found on the group’s website and Lyn suggests attending one of the monthly meetings where members showcase their works and are judged by a well-known artist or demonstrator.
“It’s very instructive…and gives an insight into how everyone approaches their art differently, and how somebody who has made their living doing art actually approaches it is another dimension again,” she said.
Quarterly and annual exhibitions like this year’s habitat exhibition allow members to see others’ work and hone their own craft.
“It’s a way for anybody who is good at any particular segment of art; whether that be sketching, watercolour painting or pastels; there’s a niche group who does exactly that,” the Vice President said.
