En plein air

For today's episode, we sat down with Pearl Hong, an artist who balances part-time work as an ER doctor with her career as a professional artist, and says both medicine and painting demand focus and many decisions.

She learned to approach plein air painting as a way to understand light and place, rather than a test of whether she can produce a perfect finished painting.

Instead of dismissing unsuccessful work, she recommends reflecting on what worked, what didn't, and what one might try differently.

Pearl says an artistic voice develops through consistent practice, not by forcing a style or chasing the market.

It's so many small decisions, some more important than others, but making a lot of decisions to get to that point, for sure.

Yeah, totally.

And then that's interesting, too, because I feel like that has so much... parallel with plein air, because plein air is also very much about in-the-moment decisions and being quick and decisive and being sure to put stuff down.

Obviously not in the life-threatening sense, but when did you learn about plein air? And do you find that maybe that's also why you're drawn to it? It feels a bit familiar to you in that sense?

She also highlights people skills and self-care as important for an art business.

She encourages artists to connect with other creatives through local groups, plein air painting, conventions, and open studios, where they can learn from one another and build relationships.

For growing an art business, she says people skills matter.

Building genuine connections with collectors and fellow artists can help sustain a career.

[laughs]

Yeah.

Um, yeah, and then the other thing I wanted to ask, because, um, another thing that's very notable with pastels is that they are a lot more portable than oil paints, uh, when it comes to doing plein air, or even just traveling overseas-

Mm-hmm

So I don't know if you want in a, one of our other projects is really cool.

Another partnership that we have is with LAPAPA, Laguna Plein Air Art Association.

[claps] Plein Air Artists.

And, um, I think Celeste is gonna be here from LAPAPA to talk about that project.

Yes, Celeste is coming- I know ... next week to talk about that project.

Gayle, who is in charge of Love Laguna Beach for our wonderful city, is one of my dearest friends, and so I'm so happy to be here.

Oh, and so is Patty, by the way.

So, so happy to be here with both of you and talk about LPAPA, which is L-P-A-P-A, stands for the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association.

If I'm painting at home, I guess I would use it somewhere here or there, but it's mostly in a planar setting.

How many people here enjoy plein air? It's been a long time.

I had no time this summer to do it.

And maybe I'll try to do it when my family, when we ever get our act together to go to Yellowstone.

I can just get one on Canal Street in New York City.

I don't need to drop $10,000 for a luxury bag.

Andrew says, I used to enjoy plein air, but now the bugs are too much for me.

Oh my God, you guys.