Plein Air painter Ingrid Nickelsen

Great link Osso - what a wonderful artist. Last June in Jenner on my way to Gurneville I met a wonderful woman artist in a gallery. She said the all her work was "Plein Air".

I am starting a Plein Air class here in San Diego in September. We will be painting in Balboa park.

Pretty scary attempt on my part.

I'm mostly an indoor air type myself, as my work doesn't always have much to do with the scene at hand, except as a starting point - but I admire this group and will sure miss Ingrid.

Actually, Ingrid's painting on the screen looks like it's starting out realistically, but her finished work is fairly abstracted. Very interesting painter. I regret I don't have any photos. I might have one, but I am well into packing my worldly goods and don't have an idea where it would be.

I'm not an artist and I know nothing about art. I just wanted to say I'm sorry about your friend, osso.

Thank you, FreeDuck.

Ah, here it is. I've been looking for this. My sympathies, as well.

I tried to find some of her work online but no luck (so far).

I have always liked the idea of plein air -- farmerman has written about it eloquently, made me want to do it, too. Something romantic about it.

Was you friend out hiking in search of new vistas to paint Osso? If so what a grand way to transition in search of a scene to paint.

I was thinking the same thing, but for some reason the words "not such a bad place to die" didn't seem very sensitive.

I don't know if she was on a painting trip or not - at this point.

so sorry about your friend Osso. I tried googling to see her work but like Soz couldn't find any.



Joanne you'll enjoy painting plein air I think - but don't worry if at first you struggle as it's a whole different game. Don't forget the sunscreen

I was painting plein air with a couple of friends last week in the woods, I'm no longer bothered by passers by but they take some getting used to a first - they are mostly polite and ask if they can look though. Some people write that they just blank them and continue working but I can't do that.

Oh sweet Viv, I knew I could count on you for support. I was speaking with the teacher today re some of my problems re transitioning to oil and such. She says she thinks plein air is the answer for me. Just sketch it in and let the painting paint itself.

She, Lori, said just enjoy the sun and paint. What do you think?

Absolutely!

funnily, I find it easier to paint in oil colours plein air. I tend to use the Griffin Alkyds, they are smaller tubes and I buy the great big tubes of normal oils - toooo heavy! they have the advantage of drying overnight as well.

I either paint on paper in my sketchbook or use a pad of cryla paper (designed for acrylics but great with oils as well) You can shut the book without damaging the painting and work on the next page with no problem. the oils don't leak through.

With oils you can work backwards and forwards, scratching through and putting light on top of dark and it's more forgiving than watercolours - though I do sometimes use them plein air but more often as mixed media with oil pastels or pastels and pen and everything but the kitchen sink added

I find that a plastic box with the paints, a small bottle of turps/white spirit, a bottle of baby oil (for cleaning me and brushes), some rags, a couple of brushes and a palette knife and palette is enough.

If you haven't painted plein air before it might seem difficult at first but stick with it. You'll learn so much about colour and atmosphere and it'll feed into your other work.

I've got a new website and you can see some of the stuff on there - if you are interested I can pm the address.

Enjoy and post the results? build a website for them?

beloved ingrid
Ingrid was such a wonderful lady. She was a friend, my lanlord and my neighbor. Such a vibrant lady with a wonderful positive energy. You could always find her either hiking, walking around town, or messing around in her wonderful yard. Her home has some beautiful pieces of art and she had painted. Anyway I will miss her cheerful face coming over to our home.

Thank you for adding that here, deelite.

Linda Mitchell, one of Ingrid's friends who was part of her plein air painting group and past columnist for the North Coast Journal, wrote an article in memory of Ingrid that finally helps me deal with her death and how she died.

A group of family and friends and the detectives who worked the case hiked to the site of her last days and talked about her together. I think it is a beautiful article that must have been hard to write.
http://www.northcoastjournal.com/090105/artbeat0901.html

Osso, that is a lovely tribute. She sounds like an amazing woman, alright!

Yeh.

That article really helps me.

I am admiring of the group of family and friends who did that, and especially admiring of the detectives. Those are really good guys.

Everyone seems good.

Police detectives are frequently skeptical about "artistic" types.



Your friend obviously impressed the police by her practical creativity oriented toward survival--and then they entered her house as humble guests who had met their hostess only in death.

I'm another humble guest who met Ingrid only in death. I recognize and regret the loss.

Choosing death is an act of hubris--but I would rather die chasing beauty than dying in bed riddled with cancer.

Yes.