Plein Air Painting with Oils

Haidee-Jo Summers is an award-winning artist whose work has appeared in exhibitions worldwide. Oils are her preferred medium, though she has taught in many different media, on subjects ranging from gardens to portraits. Hooked on plein air painting, Haidee-Jo paints anywhere, no matter how busy or crowded the setting, how complex the scene or how difficult the weather.Since graduating from De Montfort University in 1994, Haidee-Jo has received many awards for her work and been elected to membership of the prestigious Royal Institute of Oil Painters and Royal Society of Marine Artists. Her work, which features fresh and vibrant brushwork coupled with keen drawing and observational skills, has an international following. She is an editorial consultant for The Artist magazine and her first book on oil painting, Vibrant Oils, was published in 2017.www.haideejo.com

A super, no nonsense guide, Haidee-Jo deals with all aspects of starting out with plein air painting. The book is beautifully and liberally illustrated. The whole process, from choosing the correct equipment and paints to finding inspiration and coping with every weather condition is covered with practical advice. Exercises and examples are used throughout, based on the artists own experience and work. She even discusses the main barrier that may prevent some people engaging in plein air painting, i.e. painting in public and there is a chapter dealing with options for works which for whatever reason haven’t made the grade.It is a comprehensive work filled with a wealth of knowledge and information and the artists’ obvious love and enthusiasm for her subject, a must for anyone wishing to take their first steps outside.

• Foreword 6, An introduction to painting outdoors 8, Choosing a subject 12, Getting outside: equipment and supplies 18, Painting outside: The bigger picture 32, Chasing the light: alla prima 44, Step-by-step Improving your visual memory 52, Slowing down: painting over multiple sessions 62, Colour and your palette 70, Step-by-step Fog and Ruby Chard 80, Design and impact: composing your artwork 84, Step-by-step Free Range Hens at Low Bradfield 96, Step-by-step Waterfall 106, Still life en plein air 108, Step-by-step Log Pile 114, Painting in daylight 118, Step-by-step Pink Cherry Blossom Against the Sky 124, Step-by-step Beyond the Gate 132, Working with the weather 140, Painting around people 152, Exploring further: working in the studio 170, Afterword 174, Index 176