Local Artist Discusses Painting Laguna 'En Plein Air'
LAGUNA BEACH, CA — Painting “en plein air” is a Laguna Beach past time deeply rooted in the community’s old roots as an artist colony, a phrase that simply translates to the practice of painting outdoors.
The process of outdoor painting seems to join two well-loved parts of Laguna Beach’s culture: art and a distinct appreciation for the natural world.
Local Plein Air Painter Fernando Micheli spoke with Patch about his love for painting outdoors this week. Fernando is a member of the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, and has been painting Plein Air since 2014.
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He started painting outdoors after a 37-year career in landscape architecture and urban design and told Patch that though he’d always considered himself an artistic person, he never thought of pursuing a career in fine arts until one day almost a decade ago.
“I was first prompted to paint Plein Aire by Greg Vail, then president of the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association (LPAPA) in 2014 and it’s wonderful artists,” Fernando said. “I came to know how supportive and educational being part of that organization is, and now, after 8 years, been accepted as a Signature Artist Member.”
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He also added that he is proud to support the LPAPA Plein Air Project, which allows him to mentor grade school students locally under the leadership of LPAPA educational director, Jeff Sewell.
Fernando is also a regular exhibitor at the Laguna Beach Sawdust Festival and maintains a gallery/studio in the city.
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When asked how painting Plain Air differs from painting indoors, Fernando described the relationship he is able to build with the natural world around him while outdoors.
“For me, it’s the immediacy of painting in plein air that is so much more satisfying than painting from a monitor screen or photograph, which oftentimes misrepresents reality,” Fernando said. “The very act of painting outdoors requires using a triad of physical, mental/technical and inspirational abilities that allow me to experience the emotional feeling of the subject and ethereal qualities of our natural world. I also learn about how light and shadow inform objects in nature.”
Fernando draws inspiration from both the beauty in the natural world as well as the people who support him through appreciating his pieces.
“They are the reason I continue to push my art in directions I could never have imagined,” Fernando said.
When it comes to what to paint in Laguna Beach, Fernando said he gravitates toward all of the local beaches, coves and canyons. If he had to pick one spot, though, he would have to say Pearl Street.
“I’ve painted it over a dozen times and never get tired of it,” he said. “Beyond that, I have painted in many beautiful locations throughout California and my birthplace, Italy and Turkey during my recent travels.”
To view more work by Fernando Micheli, visit his website or his gallery at 577 High Drive.
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