A full painting demo in pastel on location at Lake Reba in Richmond, Ky. with friends of Kentucky Appalachia Outdoor Painters. We were joined by two new members who I profile during breaks in the painting. I start with a thumbnail sketch in graphite in my sketchbook to simplify the shapes and make sure everything will fit. After laying down the local colors in pastel, I use a brush with water to blend in the pastel like watercolor. Then the painting is ready for the final details of pastel. Check out my website for a gallery of paintings and all 125 videos:https://www.rogersnell.com S ..read more

Tillie Sowders shared a lifetime of pastel and oil talent with plein air artists in central Kentucky. We were invited to her home for a paint out and homemade pecan and pumpkin pies and cookies. But the real treat for Plein Air Artists of Central Kentucky was a tour of her home which is more like an art gallery with walls filled with her work and local artists she learned from and loves. Tillie said the secret of her remarkable results was years of trial and error and learning from workshops with artists she loves. As she shares her work, I demo a timelapse of my pastel painting looking ..read more

I did the underpainting of this Florida beach sunrise in gouache and put the finishing touches and details in pastel on Uart paper. It's fun and easier to do a small painting sometimes. This one is 5x7 inches. Check out my website for a gallery of paintings and all 123 videos:https://www.rogersnell.com Sign up for an email telling you of the latest work, video or inspiring paint location:https://www.rogersnell.com/email-newsletter Check out my vlog and list of videos:https://www.rogersnell.com/blog I’m the author of two books:https://www.rogersnell.com/books I am a member of Plein Air Arti ..read more

Are there really any rules for plein air painting in oil, pastel, watercolor or any media? I welcome comments as I sketch in gouache and pastel in the warm, comfort of indoors while looking out the window into the cold, dreary world.  This is a very quick sketch, but it shows what you can do with very few supplies, a simple setup and even when you're busy, tired, not feeling well or any other excuse you normally would use to not create. I also share the comments of Debbie Billips about whether this is plein air or cheating. Debbie and I are among the original members of Kentucky Appalac ..read more

In less than two minutes, I show sketches in pastel from a few key Florida scenes like palm trees, beach chairs and umbrellas. I like collecting plein air sketches and photos and video of warm, summer scenes to paint in the cold, dreary winter in the studio as final paintings. Check out my website for a gallery of paintings and all 120 videos:https://www.rogersnell.com Sign up for an email telling you of the latest work, video or inspiring paint location:https://www.rogersnell.com/email-newsletter Check out my vlog and list of videos:https://www.rogersnell.com/blog I’m the author of two book ..read more

Watch as Kentucky Appalachia Outdoor Painters paint in plein air in watercolor, pastel and oil and enjoy sharing and learning together. We gather at a classic entrance to the Appalachia Mountains. I love what the "Welcome to Estill County" sign says: "Where the Bluegrass kisses the mountains." That should be the slogan for our gathering of artist friends who have been painting outdoors together for three years since it started with Debbie Billips suggesting a group for Eastern Kentucky and me saying I'll be there. We went from two to about 22 very rapidly and today we had hostess Jennifer Pr ..read more

What the painting needs and the client wants. This time-lapse shows all the strokes in turning a plein air study into a finished, studio painting in oil. I highlight the freedom of changing a painting and how beans turned into sunflowers per the client's -- my wife's -- request. Meeting the high standards of being worthy of hanging on the wall in our house. This also is an example of how you can change things in any landscape to make it better or meet what the buyer wants. I also show how a study on location can lead to a studio painting. I have more than 20 paintings in a gallery and two gi ..read more

I keep things simple with quick sketches in pastel and gouache in this plein air study for future studio work. As members of Kentucky Appalachia Outdoor Painters, we had a great, lunch-time conversation about the lessons learned from painting together and the different media and supplies we use. Lori joined us for her first outdoor painting experience with us and we talked about how hard it is to relax and let go of perfection. We're creating sketches, studies, practice and not masterpieces. In addition to the encouragement and fun together, the experience of outdoor painting leads to lighte ..read more

In my previous episode, I paid tribute to Doug Byrum, my first artist friend, who began art when he was bedridden in a body cast for more than a year as a young man and remained nearly bedridden for years after. Despite all the obstacles, he found what he loved and dedicated his life to it. He became a world-class artist. So how can all of us get started even if we're too sick or too busy? I cover the simple, affordable ways to overcome the obstacles and share my own life's lessons. Keep trying. As one artist in our outdoor painting group said, "It feeds the soul." Here's the easiest way to ..read more

Frank Sinatra loved Doug's portrait of him so much that he asked permission to use it on his program cover for an upcoming tour. This is my tribute to my first artist friend who began his art career as a child in a body cast and epitomized what it means to keep trying and never give up if you love art. I met Doug three decades ago when I was a reporter. Later we teamed up to tell the story of Andrew's Raiders and the Great Locomotive Chase. I wrote and Doug illustrated. Doug used his art and his love of Civil War history to find the gravesites and assure historical markers of these Ohio Unio ..read more