top of page
WILL PLELI
Welcome to Plein Air
Australia's NSW South Coast
Welcome to Plein Air.
Todays mission was to complete three painting.
​
29th November 2022 East Coast of NSW Australia about 73 km South of Sydney It's about 1 hr and 15 minutes drive down the coast till arrived at Austinmer at around 9am just as Shells Diner is opening for business. The forecast is a top of 24 today and low winds so the mission is to complete three paintings before I start to head back home. I start the day with a Hot coffee then head across the road to the Surf Life Saving Club and find a spot on the Beach next to the cliffs. I could see the waves breaking on the rock pools and know I have limited time to get setup and finish before the waves start to lap at my easel. I start the painting at around 9.27 am I quickly laying down my composition then start with blocking in the sky and working my way to the foreground, by the time I am half way through with the finishing details the waves start at my easel and I have to move back a little. I finish my painting around 11am and some locals that were dripping wet just from a swim helped me with my finished photo I then pack up then head further South to Thirroul.
.jpg)
Second location Thirroul
Heading further South still, only a short drive to Thirroul 1.5 km about a 2 minuet drive I arrive at the Thirroul Surf Life Saving Club and adjacent to that is the Beach Pavilion where you can sit down and have some lunch out of the weather and next to that is a free public swimming pool with ample parking. I set my sites at the end of the car park where a tall blue pump house is located, I quickly set up my easel on the beach It's now about 12 noon, I lay down my composition onto a red acrylic ground that a prepared earlier in the morning and it quickly becomes apparent that once I have finished with the sky the pump house will be lost against it so I decided to let the red show trough as the pump house and it really demands attention. As I went about staging the easel for the final photo and a gust of wind sent the easel and canvas face first into the sand and I guess now I have a mixed media.
It's now about 1pm and I've been in the full sun for far to long so I pack up and start heading back North back past Austinmer and will have time for just one more painting.
Final location Coalcliff
Head back along Lawrence Hargrave Dr I cross over Sea Cliff Bridge the Oceanside balance cantilever bridge that jots out over the Ocean, I end up at Coalcliff Rock Pools for my final painting of the day I find a cool spot under cover out of the Sun over looking the Rock Pool, facing North my subject will be the edge of the pool looking up at the hills where the hang-gliders take off. this time I start with working out how much of the pool will be in the foreground and how to compress the hills to make them all fit in, by the time lay my first brush strokes down it's about 2pm and I''l have to work fast to get it finished and bet the afternoon traffic.
I found this painting the most challenging with so many elements to combine, part way through the chilling winds of the Ocean gives me the drive to work quicker, by the time I finish it is now nearly 4pm and with the help of some friendly locals they take my final photo of the day.
Join me again for my next Plein Air Adventure.
bottom of page