Plein Air Painting

“All art-loving people love nature first.”
— Charles Sumner Greene, Arts and Crafts architect

Story by Ann Jarmusch

Plein air paintings have always been at home in Arts and Crafts bungalows, where domesticity and reverence for nature are as intertwined as a William Morris textile design. Whether of the same vintage as the bungalow where they hang or finished just last week, plein air paintings continue to captivate us because they vividly recall familiar or exotic places.
The term “en plein air” — French for “in the open air” — refers to painting a picture outdoors in one session with the goal of recording the light, color and mood of a particular scene at a specific hour. The French Impressionists were among the first plein air painters; they took advantage of newly available paint in tubes and other portable supplies.
California light is surely as famous and alluring to artists and art lovers as that of the French Riviera or Tuscan countryside. La Jolla and Laguna Beach, for example, attracted artist colonies from the late 19th century on. And, of course, San Diego County boasts not only miles of picturesque coastline to inspire artists, but also mountains, bluffs, deserts and back-country wilderness.
Plein air paintings complement the Arts and Crafts philosophy of living close to nature.  “California’s appeal included the variety of vegetation, some native, other imported, and the special light and atmosphere that gave a greater range and intensity to color,” Richard Guy Wilson wrote in “The Arts and Crafts Movement in California: Living the Good Life.”
Often, the artist conveys emotional fervor and a sense of well being in a plein air painting.  It “does something that photography can’t,” said Nikole Stephenson of Art Expressions Gallery. “It almost captures something permanently that’s ephemeral.”
Contemporary plein air painting is “our mainstay” at the gallery, Stephenson said, citing the work of Robin Hall, of Capistrano Beach, among other living artists represented.  Plein air landscapes “translate well to people, whether or not they have a background in art.”
Art and antiques dealer Christopher Pro, who owns Antigua California, loves vintage plein air paintings because they record a quieter, simpler time. “You can’t go back now and get a picture of Rose Canyon before Costco [built its store there],” the San Diego native said of one idyllic example he sold to a nearby landowner. “That landscape was captured when California was truly the Golden State, before it was commercialized and cut up.”
Among the first things Save Our Heritage Organisation did when the group took over management of the historic Marston House Museum in July was to bring in a collection of plein air landscapes by prominent San Diego painters.  Early 20th-century paintings by Charles Fries (1854-1940), Maurice Braun (1877-1941) and Alfred Mitchell (1888-1972) are on loan from Carmel Fine Art Gallery. Beautiful in their own right, the subjects of the paintings also help tell the story of George White Marston’s interest in historic preservation (Mission de Alcala) and public parks (he donated land to establish Anza-Borrego Desert State Park).
In addition, Mitchell’s portrait of his own beloved house on 31st Street in South Park is on view.  Mitchell traded a painting for the architectural services of Richard Requa and his young draftsman, Lloyd Ruocco, then helped construct the house, which he and his wife named Deep Hearth.
Many of these paintings are for sale, with part of the proceeds benefitting SOHO’s Marston House Fund. Period pieces, chosen for local relevance and era, will rotate, so repeat visitors have something new to see, said Alana Coons, SOHO’s events and education director.
A lyrical painting of willowy pepper tree leaves by Ellen Farr (1840-1907), a prolific artist, is on loan from Pro. He thinks Farr, who moved to Pasadena in 1895, probably sold a lot of small paintings to tourists who tucked them in their suitcases to take back East as souvenirs. In a similar vein, two botanical studies of roses of California by Albert Valentien, a painter and potter who lived for a time in North Park with his artist wife, Anna, hang in the Marston House sewing room.
Pro and other experts advise budding collectors to study the paintings on view at the Marston House, local art museums and galleries known for vintage San Diego paintings, such as Alcala Gallery in La Jolla, and to research artists and art history before considering a purchase. Gallery talks — such as one SOHO recently held on the thundering stagecoach paintings of Marjorie Reed (1915-1996) — are another way to familiarize yourself with an artist or genre.
A signed painting in its original period frame can be a visual treasure and a valuable find that enhances one’s home and daily life. For contemporary plein air paintings, Art Expressions Gallery suggests traditional gold-leaf frames.
Be open to surprises, said Pro. “It doesn’t have to be a Mitchell or Fries, but someone who captured the essence of a place.”
Many paintings are by artists whose names were not recorded for posterity and still more are unsigned, making research nearly impossible. Pro said not to shy away from such paintings, if they speak to you. Since unsigned works typically cost less, Pro estimated a budding collector could put a small collection together for as little as $1,000.
Patience may be required if you’re looking for a vintage painting of the San Diego Mission de Alcala or Balboa Park during the 1930s. Pro thinks San Diegans hold on to paintings of such local significance.
But you never know what might turn up at galleries, estate sales, antiques shops or even on eBay. Just be sure to follow the experts’ advice: Buy what you love. z