The Scattering

I painted this on the front lawn of the library as an act of civil disobedience. No one was harmed during my plein air exhibition without permission on the library lawn. Inside the library was a plein air art reception going on that was a fabulous collection of artists and their works of art but that I was not invited to. I was sad but still determined to be seen in my own quiet way . I set up a canvas that was as tall as I am outside the library during their gathering inside and began to paint outside . Out there on the lawn I created my own ´plein aire salon refusé’.
I began with a quiet médiation and looked about for inspiration from nature as I begzn my work. I looked up, about
60 ft in the air I saw the faint shadow of a group of herons nests. (I learned later that a group of herons nest is called a ‘scattering ‘)
The nests are so high up in the air that most people never see them.
I did, and then I began to paint. First,I threw a gallon of water on the whole canvas in one long thrown pour. ( I paint with acrylics in a water color style my canvas is laid on the flat, horizontally. )
I watched as the rivulets of water on the canvas started to form in the fractal patterns I would work with to echo the branches of the trees. I use very large brushes and some dance moves as I sling paint to get the effect I want. I use some pallette knife work to finish the work. This piece was completed ala prima that day. After the art awards ceremony inside some people wandered out on the lawn. My activity attracted people from the gala to come take a look at what I was doing. I struck up some conversation with some of them as I worked slinging paint in arcs that can be as long as a six foot throw. Modt asked what are you painting? I pointed up at the tree canopy full of herons nests over our heads. Most of them said! Oh I see… its a tree! I ´d say ´look again. ´ and’ please stand back i don’t want to get paint on you!
A few of them did keep looking and finally saw the faint outline of the herons nests up there and BAM it hit them that I was painting something they might not have seen had they not looked closer. They looked a long time to finally see what I did. I have learned to look a long time at nature. The more I look, the more I see. I think that great art is like that, the more you look at it, the more you might see. It was a great day.