Local artist offers plein-air painting class in Coltsfoot Valley

CORNWALL — Last Saturday morning, July 12, from 10 to 12 a.m., a small group of artists gathered on the edge of Pine Street in Cornwall Village to paint watercolor studies of Coltsfoot Valley.

Local artist Robert Adzema, who specializes both in sculpting sundials and plein-air watercolors, led the class. Plein-air painting is the practice of painting outside, directly from nature.

On his website, Adzema explains how plein-air “encourages one to deal with the subject directly and spontaneously, and to welcome chance and accident”.

It is different from sculpture, which requires more precision.

To start off, Adzema did a small demonstration with his paints, explaining his thought process and answering questions. He painted both in both grayscale and color, focusing on laying out basic shapes before slowly going in with more details.

Afterwards the group split off to work on their own pieces, implementing newly learned techniques and accepting feedback. Many stayed beyond the scheduled time to continue their work.

Throughout the class, Adzema offered tips to help familiarize people with the basics of watercolors. He suggested that a value painting in black and white first is helpful with getting a feel for the subject and the sections of the landscape.

“The big secret of painting watercolor is being aware of how wet the paper is,” he told participants.

The wetness of the paper affects the way the paints interact with it; more moistness means more paint is absorbed and the colors will spread to a larger area, creating a softer look, while dry paper is better for achieving sharper details.

He demonstrated how to mix colors directly on the canvas to add depth. In particular, he suggested adding oranges and golds to the grass and sky to add warmth into the picture.

As the group split, Adzema continued to encourage participants to paint what interested them and to use the techniques that spoke to them most. It was clear in his passion that he hoped to encourage others to delve into art as deeply as he had.