| The Essential Element by Stefan Baumann
 San
Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo (The Mission of Carmel)
Stefan Baumann 2001 8"x10" Oil on linen -
mounted on panel
As I paint throughout North America, I gravitate to scenes
that tell a story. Sometimes the stories are historical;
sometimes they are emotional or spiritual. I recently began
a series on the 300 year old Catholic mission system in
California. When I look at a mission, it's not necessarily
the spiritual component that motivates me, but rather the
structure's representation of California's history. These
Churches were the backbone of the region's earliest infrastructure,
but they were also where Native Americans were forced into
construction labor pools. These stories may seem irrelevant
to a landscape painter, but in truth, they breath soul into
a work of art. Thus, every painting becomes more than a
physical representation; it becomes the embodiment of a
story.
With this history in mind, I painted the Mission of Carmel.
Considered by many to be the most beautiful of the California
missions, San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo is located in the
town of Carmel, just south of Monterey.
When you begin a painting, you must consider the objective
of your piece, and select the essential elements that bring
this objective to fruition. I visited the Carmel Mission
several times to get a sense of its aesthetic. From those
visits, I knew I wanted to incorporate a dramatic use of
light. I have found that plein air painters are notorious
for being "fair weather wanderers", and as a result,
most paintings depict ideal sunny afternoons. The morning
that I ventured to Carmel, the rain was pounding upon my
windshield, and I anticipated losing a day to the elements.
Upon my arrival, I scrambled under an arch, arranged my
painting supplies, and began sketching the mission. The
rain was torrential, and as a result, that mood was reflected
in my sketch.
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|
Arthur
Streeton was at the forefront of a small group
of Australian painters responsible for creating an Impressionist
style in the 1880’s.
