View a slideshow of painter Susan Belloni’s work.
The lifestyle of a painter is hardly considered strenuous, as most of the artists enjoy working while seated in the privacy of their own studio. But there is a specific breed of landscape artist that feels the only way to work is to go where the subject is, outside the studio and out into the world. These adventuring artists—who must take canvas, easel, and supplies by pack—are known as plein air painters, those who paint out in the open air from the living landscape.
Susan Belloni is a painter and plein air artist who received her degree from UCSB and lived in Santa Barbara for decades until moving to Santa Ynez in 2013. Since she moved, Belloni has been active with the Artists Guild of Santa Ynez Valley, which is currently exhibiting her show Love Livin’ in the Valley at the Los Olivos Cafe. The show features plein air pieces that Belloni has done while exploring the valley on her own and with the Plein Air Artists of the Central Coast, of which she is also a member.
Living in the Santa Ynez Valley, Belloni enjoys miles and miles of distant mountains, rolling hills, and waterways to explore. Once a spot is found, she unpacks her equipment and gets to work. Being fit enough to make it out and back comfortably is important to Belloni, who lugs canvas, easel, paints, palette, and more back and forth each trip. Even once she is out and painting, Belloni stands rather than sits down, she explained.
“I heard there is a sort of 1-3 ratio ration of calories that get burned when you are laying down, sitting down, or standing up,” she said. “As a plein air painter, I can be standing for two to three hours at a time, and I don’t even notice the time going by, which I am happy about.”
Belloni uses both oils and acrylics in her paintings, though for different reasons. Acrylics dry fast, but not so with oils. If she must capture a subject quickly, acrylics are helpful, but if time allows, she will opt for the oils.
Because oils take longer to dry, more time can be taken to focus on each part of the canvas. This is often time long spent silent, focusing intently with the eyes on the landscape and the paints. While she does sometimes take a photo as an aid for finishing a piece later, Belloni explained, she prefers to paint live.
“It takes a while to cover a canvas, so I’m not ever waiting for anything to dry” she said. “If I have to come back and I get lucky, I will go the next day and try and find the same kind of light going on. The colors always come out better when you are painting from real life.”
The fresh air and walking is an enjoyable form of exercise, and the art is definitely a powerful de-stresser, but plein air painting scratches more than a couple itches for Belloni. As a member of the Plein Air Artists of the Central Coast, she often paints in groups with other members, which adds social interaction to an often solitary activity. Group members make trips to county parks and often get invited onto public property to search for scenes.
Belloni enjoys interacting with other artists for the social aspects, but she’s also interested in the shared and unique techniques her cohorts possess, and the differing perspectives each artist can provide of the same place. The group has been to Lake Cachuma, the UCSB Sedgewick Reserve, and other beautiful areas of the valley together.
“We lived in Santa Barbara for 40 years and both went to UCSB, my husband and I, and we celebrated our graduation at Mattei’s Tavern, so we always felt this was a home away from home,” Belloni said. “I have always felt at home in this county, I just think Santa Barbara County is wonderful.”
Belloni is also a member of the Southern California Artists Painting for the Environment, which donates a percentage of painting sales to local conservation groups. Staying connected to the environment doesn’t end with the paintings, Belloni explained, but it can help us appreciate and connect with nature.
“If for no other reason than survival, we should pay attention to nature,” she said. “I think the more that we feel that we belong to the community of nature the better we are in the long run, and plein air painting really allows you to learn a lot more about nature and be in it.”
Arts Editor Joe Payne is glad to be a part of the community. Contact him at jpayne@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jan 22-29, 2015.