T
he opinion found at online artist
forums is that plein air allows the painter
to better represent the true colors,
shapes, and feel of the subject. Painting
outside allows Paliotto to capture the
light. “The sun keeps everything in
harmony,” he says. The four seasons
of living in the Inland Northwest allow
observation of multiple light sources
depending on the weather and time of
day, including direct sunlight, overcast
light, dawn, or dusk. Paliotto describes
morning sun as his favorite for lighting.
“It’s a spiritual time.”
Plein air is not usually for impasto
artists. While using oil it is important to
work in layers, as wet paint on wet paint
is challenging and there is not time to
sit and wait for the paint to dry. “There
is a cap in quality of light. It’s about
two-and-one-half hours.” Plein air artists
try to say more, with less brushstrokes,
which is against the realistic method
taught during Paliotto’s schooling at
Palomar College.
Site location is essential to producing
successful plein air art. The artist must
have a good eye for the scene as they
translate a three-dimensional reality into
a two-dimensional painting. Paliotto
searches out rural settings that “Display
a time gone by when harmony between
land and man existed.”
Some call Paliotto’s art impressionistic;
however, he considers his work to be
more pastoral or agrarian. “My style
is one that takes from impressionism
without disregarding the discipline
of representational art up to the early
1900s.” Pastoralism is often comprised
of open land and livestock, while
agrarian art displays scenes of farmland
and rural life. The two are not mutually
exclusive. The subtle difference is: a
pastoral piece is intended to have the
viewer relate to the subject (person or
animal) and agrarian art is meant to
connect the viewer to the land.
May | June 2018
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