Click the above link and watch the video clip.
Peter Brown is one of my favorite UK plein air artists. Watching him paint outside makes you understand how you can approach the process with confidence and authenticity.
The way Peter Brown looks in the video is a typical image of plein air artists. We are all sloppy dressers and our clothes are dirty, covered with dried paints. Only that way can we be carefree and focused totally on the painting. However, the video reminds me of one experience. It happened about a week ago when I was on Q Bus 54 to the Rockaway Beach. Right after I got on the bus with my kit, the bus driver told me that I should not stand in the middle to block the way to the rear part of the bus. Instead, I should have stood close to the side with single seats. Therefore, I moved my kit next to a lady sitting on a single seat.
As soon as I moved there, the lady threw me a dirty look and gave my kit a push with her hand. She immediately pulled it back as if it was scorching hot. In fact, my kit didn't touch her. It only looked bad but paints were all dried. Suddenly, it dawned on me that she must take me for a homeless. For quite some time, I had noticed this summer that a few homeless people used the same shopping buggies as I did. Plus my dirty clothes... Aha, I knew what she must be thinking! It tickled me to think of that. So, whenever the bus was shaking, I purposely pressed my kit a little hard toward the lady to get a kick out of her reaction.
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