Kathleen Dunphy
Bonnie Gangelhoff; Photos by Paul O'Valle
On location with Kathleen Dunphy at Point Lobos, CA
What do you like about plein-air painting over creating landscape works in the studio? I have always loved being outside. All the answers are outside. When you are in the studio and working from memory, it’s never the same as having the thing in front of you. There are subtleties you pick up on location that you can’t get from any other source. Plus, I believe there is an excitement that comes down your arm and out your brush that really is conveyed in the painting in a way you can’t mimic in the studio.
What appeals to you about painting at Point Lobos? The California coast is so dramatic. It’s changing all the time. Everywhere you look there is a painting, regardless of the weather. The ocean churns up, waves crash, and the color of the water is this intense blue-green. The cliffs coming down to the water are dramatic too, and everywhere there’s sea life like otters, seals, osprey, and herons. It is really a unique part of the world.
What are some of the challenges of painting on location? The weather and the spectators. The day I was painting this painting at Point Lobos, it was so windy I had to find ways to anchor the easel and hold on to my hat. The excitement of it all comes out on the canvas. It’s nice to have people come and look at work, but it takes a heck of a lot of concentration to paint. And it can get distracting. I try to answer people’s questions but keep it brief. I say something like, “I’m sorry but the light is changing quickly and I need to keep painting.”
What misconceptions does the average person have about plein-air painting?
Most people think that every painting you do works. When people hear it only takes two hours, they assume it is just something you bang out. The painting may take two hours, but there are countless hours, years of learning, and many paintings that wind up in the burn pile.
Dossier
Representation
Knowlton Gallery, Lodi, CA; Elliott Fouts Gallery, Sacramento, CA; Meyer Gallery, Park City and Salt Lake City, UT; Morris & Whiteside Galleries, Hilton Head, SC; Shaw Gallery, Naples, FL; Argosy Gallery, Bar Harbor, ME; www.kathleendunphy.com.
Upcoming Shows
Group show, Knowlton Gallery, June 30-August 28.
Solo show, Knowlton Gallery, September 1-26.
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