Connie Falk - Connie Falk paints both in the studio and en plein air, or outside painting what she directly observes. “I love mixing paint colors and painting in layers in the studio. I also love the camaraderie and experience of painting outside with friends, so I paint weekly with a group of plein air painters in the Albuquerque area. This practice has slowly improved my eye and my ability to lay in compositions and colors quickly before the shadows change.”
In her landscape paintings, she strives to simplify the scene while also conveying the actual landscape features, which is one of the big challenges, particularly in plein air. How much to stylize the composition and shapes and how much the colors should depart from local colors are top concerns. Finding the right balance in these decisions, while also conveying the emotional impact of the amazing local landscapes keeps plein air painting always exciting.
Connie has recently begun using cold wax medium mixed into oil paint in both non-representational and plein air landscape paintings. She only uses a palette knife or silicone tools to apply the cold wax and oil paint, producing effects not achievable with a brush.
