The Clearing provides us with a unique and beautiful natural environment to paint. The focus of this class is to chronicle the experience of immersion into this environment through Plein Air painting. “En plein air” is a French term for ‘in the open air”. Nothing can compare with the expansive stimulation of standing inside the composition that you are painting. This class will deliver the opportunity to represent what you see and improvise what you feel. The medium is soft pastel, a tremendously effective medium for building color and value shapes rapidly in your painting.

Our strategy will be to build a group of thumbnail studies that will provide a choice for the most effective composition and then begin a small-scale painting. The ultimate goal of doing this is not to labor over highly detailed or polished paintings but rather to create a body of loosely rendered, impressionistic studies. As you produce multiple studies you will become more comfortable and confident in your plein air experience.

We will work on locations at The Clearing with an emphasis on the portability and efficiency of your materials. Alternatives to inclement weather will be covered areas outside or photographic references in the classroom. John will demonstrate technique and methodology regularly throughout our classes. John believes the paintings you produce in this class will serve as very personal and fulfilling reflections of your week at The Clearing. John will contact students prior to class.

John Ribble has been drawing since his earliest memory, and it has contributed to virtually every artistic endeavor in his life. Upon earning a bachelor’s degree in fine art, he embarked on a 12-year career as a graphic designer, art director and illustrator. In 1982, he joined the staff of the Graphic Design and Illustration Department at Madison College and taught there for 32 years, retiring in 2014. Approximately 30 years ago, he became a plein air landscape artist and is currently represented by the Abel Contemporary Gallery in Stoughton, Wisconsin, participating in multiple group and one-person shows. His years of teaching were the most rewarding of his life. They gave him the opportunity to daily engage in interactions with students and faculty and learn to employ skills using a great variety of materials, techniques, conceptualizations, compositions and critiques. He learned more about being an artist as a teacher than from all of his previous educational and professional experiences combined! He is grateful and excited for the chance to teach in such an exquisite environment and historic institution as The Clearing.

Level: Intermediate