Kehinde Sanwo Leads Affordable Art Online’s Plein-Air Painting

Yinka Olatunbosun

It may have started in the 1830s in France, but plein air painting has been the toast of landscape artists over the centuries. Outdoor painting is a refreshing way to work for artists which explains why Affordable Art Online kicked off a two-day painting project called plein air Painting with Kehinde Sanwo.

Markedly different from studio work, plein air painting has its own unique challenge. In a brief encounter with one of Nigeria’s finest landmark documentarists, Kehinde Sanwo, he revealed how Affordable Art Online is inspiring a project to celebrate plein air painting at a recent encounter in Lagos.

“Plein art painting was actually part of our training when we were in school. Normally you would expect that artist would paint in their studio. The difference there is that you are on the spot to capture the essence of the moment and to express what you feel at that point in time concerning what you are observing. You have this beautiful scenery before you and you have to capture. Compared to studio practice, you don’t have the luxury of time. The weather changes drastically.

“One of the objectives of plein air is to be able to capture the sunlight, moon at that point in time. You may have just three or four hours before the weather changes and there is a cast in the shadow. It is a practice that is recommended for landscape artists. It helps you to hone your craft and you are being forced to think fast and make decisions about what to capture at that moment. It is a training to help you become stronger and that experience you can take back to the studio to develop yourself more. We can liken it to a marathon runner who is constantly practicing in anticipation of that big event to showcase himself,’’ he revealed.

The two-day event featured artists such as Gbemileke Adekunle, Elizabeth Chioma Ekpetorson simply known as Eleez; Ifeoluwa Olojede and Stephen Oni Olamide. Their minds were prepared for the challenges that could be encountered during the outdoor painting in a meeting preceding the event. Supported by the Lagos Motor Boat Club in Ikoyi, the lagoon-front experience was mind-blowing for the artists.

The lead artist, Sanwo explained that weather is a crucial factor to the painting process.

“It could be sunny then it can change to rainy. The other part of it is the human element. There is no way that you won’t attract attention when you stand out especially in this environment where that is not common. An artist is very careful about moving around,’’ he said. Street urchins often try to extort artists who do outdoor painting in some locations in Lagos. But some experienced artists know how to overcome this challenge and get to work.

For the organisers, Affordable Art Online, the plein air painting adventure is both instructive and inspiring.

“Plein air creates a bond between artists and youths in the area, encouraging them to develop their own interest in painting and art. For this project, we have explored locations like Tarkwa Bay Beach, Osogbo, Ibadan, Lekki-Ikoyi Link bridge and the current Lagos Motor Boat Club.’’

Filler Two