The Plein Air Convention, Monterey

Sorry it's been a while. Stuff happened. But it's time for an update, specifically the Plein Air Convention in Monterey and what all happened there. It's a bit of a long story so be forewarned. It all started with an invite from Steve Daugherty/ Eric Rhodes of Plein Air Mag many months ago. They asked if I would be interested in co-demo-ing with Randy Sexton, a long time friend and brother from another mother. Also a great painter. I sez Okay! Randy has the idea that we should do something different than a painting from a photo or another painting. Let's get a motorcycle up on the stage he sez. Okay! I came up with the idea of racing jackets with fake art sponsors because an artist shilling for sponsors with stuff on a jacket is funny. We were even going to create fake patches, like for Pleinzoil and Cheetah bristle brushes (catch one if you can). But that was too much work.

After much back and forthing with the hotel we decided it was possible. I flew in a day early to check out the stage and the logistics of this thing. Randy had a friend come down from San Fran with a bike the night before our demo. He shows up in the evening and I'm thinking there's no way to get the bike through the back hall and onto the stage as the back hall was less wide than the handlebars.  Biker dude sez, no worries. And so it came to pass and we squeeked the bike through the hall and tucked it in the back corner on the stage for the morning.

Now since I was demoing the ooops paint, I had to block in the night before so it could dry for the oils. And had to redemo the latex stuff in the morning just so I could talk about it and then pull out the dry one. It's the old bake and switch. The demo went smoothly having only an hour and a half, despite the fact that it was of a girl on a motorcycle, two things I don't paint a lot and there was a horrific glare on the canvas and on the palette. Somehow I wasn't that nervous and Randy and I had our usual banter and managed to poop out a painting in the time alotted.

The rest of the week was spent painting with friends, being present for the artists and attending the demos. Lots of good stuff and great products like The Strada easel, an invention from Bryan Mark Taylor... almost bought one but then he sold out but I did buy some killer brushes there and learned a ton and saw old friends and had a good time. Next year the line up looks really good... I'd go.