What I learned in AITO 2025 (Art In The Open, Wexford, Ireland)

Plein air painting in Ireland

one.

I learned that going back to pencil sketching, and keeping the discipline of drawing to daily, and monochrome, I get to free myself from colour, i get to focus only on values, and on composition. That felt freeing for someone like me who love colours. I love colours so much that using it seems inevitable, but love for something does not mean i have to overdo it, and use lots of it. Love for colour, means I can choose how I enjoy colours, and enjoyment for me is having the discerning taste be reflected in a nice harmony. If I like ice cream, I still need to choose what flavours to eat, and imagine mixing all the flavours into one, it would take it from good too bad very fast.

this is where I try to paint while its very windy and I did do something, but I could not concentrate whatsoever.

two

I learned that wind can be very fast a distracting element for a plein air artist, and while i manage to get over it the second half of the day, and choose better locations. I had to learn it the hard way.

three

Keeping the making simple, and repeat it often will get me to master what it is that makes my work me. And I see that all during the week by different artists paintings. There’s this unequivocal understanding of their way of working that shows up in every piece because artists who has cut their teeth versus artists who has not, can be differentiated easily. Talent might be what everyone is throwing about as a word for those good but I truly feel its repetition and practice that does the job, when I get back to Singapore, I want to do more. Being in Wexford shows me that I was not drawing and painting enough in Singapore.

Here I am insisting on giving it my best shot

four

I can paint bettter, I can compose better, and I can draw better that the average person, all I have to do is insist that I have given it my best shot in any given day. And the moment I think this way, my work quality improves. It is not because I couldn’t before but in my travel sketching mindset, I was way too relaxed, and i love that casual finish or even that unfinished look. But in plein air painting, a little further refinement is necessary.

The sold piece I was very happy with.