Filming ‘Plein Air’ Mini Documentary

Over the past few days, I have had the pleasure of working with aspiring film makers, Natthan Davis and Miles Richardson, as we captured footage for an upcoming video project focused on my ‘Plein Air’ painting. We started the first day early as the rain was far from sight and the sun was beckoning us onward. We began close to home visiting some of my favorite little haunts, luckily for us Vancouver island is full of wild places and beautiful vistas both increidble to paint and to film (I imagine). Like most things, it took us a bit of time to find a groove but after a few hours I was used to cameras hovering around me and drones buzzing overhead. It was a real fun experience, learning quite a bit about my own process that I had long forgotten as the young film crew asked me questions throughout the day as they tried to understand things for their own storytelling purposes. The day ended with the light, and the boys spent another few hours formulating ideas and reviewing footage, as I prepared a good meal and enjoyed the warmth of a fire.

Day Two, proved that we were gelling as a team. Silent communication and simple head nods, were enough for everyone as the film makers looked to fill in the gaps of the story. I got to really focus on what I love, painting. Although, we had some hick ups with locations we were able to adapt as my son’s (the photographer) knowledge of the area, found us some great little spots to explore. It always amazes me the spectrum of different landscapes that exist in the mid island. Sandstone beaches, roaring waterfalls, calm swimming holes and rugged mountains were all within a single day. On the painting front, I came away with several nice little pieces. It seemed to me the crew was happy collecting up all their angles, everything from a mole’s eye to an eagles. All seemed happy, as we chatted away about life and what it means to work in a creative field. The day finished back in my studio, as I had questions to answer or should I say an interview to take part in. Though the sun had long gone down, I enjoy getting to share some of my thoughts on painting from direct experience and how it shaped my career.

Look out for the video in the new year, along with more about my af adventures and happenings here on the blog.