Walter J. Pasko
My inspiration for en plein air painting comes from the works of the early 20th Century American impressionist painters of California and New England. Most of my paintings are done on location in New England, from the rolling hills of western Massachusetts and mountains of Vermont to the rugged coastline of Northern Maine.
For me en plein air painting provides the primary means of studying the fleeting effects of light and shadow on the landscape. Each painting is a fusion of current observation and past experience gained from a life time of direct observation and painting on location.
The excitement of a painting comes from the total experience of searching for a composition in various weather conditions and seasons, working with the material and equipment on location to capture the effect of light on the landscape, and then making the final adjustments to the composition and color in the studio.
I find winter especially interesting because of the bold patterns created by the light snow and dark background of trees and buildings. Since snow reflects the light from surrounding objects its color can vary with location and time of day.
