5 minute read
Coronado's Secret Colony and the Art of Plein Air
By DAWN RICHARDS
Imagine you’re a painter in France. It’s the 1860s, and like all painters of your time, you work indoors, mixing your paints from raw pigments. One day, you and your artist cronies are imbibing local spirits in Le Moulin de la Galette. Your ear is caught by extraordinary news: someone has invented a “tube” of flexible metal to hold pre-mixed paint so it doesn’t dry out! It seems too good to be true. Suddenly, you’re all imagining what it would be like to paint outside “en plein air” (in the open air). The possibilities of painting with the changing of light seem endless. You startle as your friend Renoir claps you on the back, asking, “What say you, Monet, will I see you painting on the banks of the Seine?” “Or, perhaps in your gardens at Giverny!” exclaims Frédéric Bazille.
It was this seemingly simple invention, along with portable easels and lightweight canvases, that liberated artists from their studios and brought them into the natural light. Although the collapsible paint tube was invented by American portraitist John G. Rand in 1841, it was the Impressionists - embracing the joie of escaping to the countryside to paint their landscapes in sunlight’s golden hours - that truly popularized the concept.
Whether watercolor, oil, or ink, in the country or the city, painting en plein air offers endless opportunities for perspective and accurately capturing outdoor colors. Today’s artists often cycle to the park or seashore with a collapsible easel and pochade (from the French poche, pocket) box containing all the essential supplies. The typical pochade has a hinged lid that can serve as a support for a canvas and also carries tools unique to plein air work, such as red lenses for assessing color values, view catchers to narrow the focus, portable umbrellas for shade, and even retractable back scratchers for steadying the hand. However, as enjoyable as painting out in the sunshine can be, don’t forget that Nature can be unpredictable. Don’t forget to plan for these “plein errors:” stormy weather; wild animals; biting insects; and heavy winds. A First Aid kit might be a good addition to one’s pochade box!
Local artist Mary Hale offers an example: “It sounds so easy but honestly it is tough to capture and do! There is so much to see in nature. What to put in, what to leave out? What to add from another area that’s maybe behind you? That and all the gear and wet paintings we haul while trying to keep our vehicles clean!
On my last outing I was nearly finished when a gust of wind took my entire pallet and sent it sailing. Of course my paint went face down on the sidewalk!”
She and other artists will be showing their latest works at the Coronado Plein Air Art Exhibition, set to debut in the Library’s Reading Room on August 10 from 2:004:00 PM, and remaining through October. The show is hosted by the Coronado Library and curated by the Coronado Art Colony, a secretive collective founded by local artist Tina Christiansen in 2010. This private organization extends membership solely by invitation from its founder. The concept for the group was sparked when Tina discovered the fulfillment and inspiration she experienced from collaborating with fellow artists. “Artists work alone for the most part, but I found that if I could share it with others, even if in different art forms, then they can share in the experience.” She likens it to musicians who hone their skills solo before coming together to rehearse and perform. The motto of the Coronado Colony, “Ars Laetitian Affers,” translates to “Art Brings Joy.”
Though the Colony operates as a private entity, the collective is dedicated to supporting and promoting artists beyond its membership. “We bring in other artists for our shows,” explains Tina. Artists are also invited to participate in the Colony’s no-fee annual art competition, where an esteemed Art Prize is awarded. The call for entries, which is posted on the Colony’s website, is free of charge, making participation accessible to all. Entries for next year’s exhibition will begin on January 1, 2026 and close at the end of May.
For more information, please visit https://www.CoronadoArtColony.com.
Tina adds that one effective way for artists to showcase their work is to apply for juried membership at the Coronado Art Association. Formed in the 1940s as a non profit supporting the arts, the Association stands as the longest serving formal organization for Coronado artists, offering the opportunity for juried review for an annual fee of just $25.
“They should get involved in the local arts scene that way,” advises Tina. “The potential of being noticed by our Colony founder goes way up and improves their opportunity to be invited to be featured in our art shows.”
