George Inness & Thanksgiving in Ukiah

George Inness

Ihave been reading a couple of books on George Inness, 1825-94. He is considered to be one of the great American landscape painters. He was a contemporary of the Hudson River School Painters but not considered to belong to that group. He was a more modern painter painting in the French Barbizon Fashion (Millet) with a tonal pallet. The one book titled George Inness and the Science of Landscape is a difficult read, but it does have some nice color reproductions (but not enough). The other book, George Inness, Writings and Reflections on Art and Philosophy, is a more concise, easier read, but nothing about Inness is easy. He really took his painting to the far reaches of spiritual, philosophical and scientific theory. This is a lot different than the approach most plein air painters and myself included have. I just go out find it and paint it, a much simpler approach.

I did pick up on one thing Innes preached and that was the importance of the far horizon portion of the scene. He felt that the whole essence of the painting originated in this unfocused, vague atmospheric area (the distant back ground at eye level). Innes described this area as a "half way point between light and dark" and " a point of equilibrium in the painting".

Ukiah Vineyard - Fall 11"x14" oil $1050.

While painting in Ukiah over the Thanksgiving Holiday I had this in the back of my mind while painting the colorful vineyards. Ukiah is 125 miles north of the S.F. Bay area and has become a viable wine region. The area has distinct fall color, great for plein air painting.

I doubt if my philosophy on painting is going to become too complicated. I’m still a go out, find it and paint it the best I can painter.