MOUNTAIN LIFE - Blue Mountains | Spring 2018

SPRING 2018 ML BLUE 51 words :: Ned Morgan On a grey day in March after a thaw, I’m crouched on the banks of the Pretty River. To my untrained eyes, the landscape in front of me looks dull and drained after months under the snow. But when I settle in to observe Mark Berens on a plein-air painting session, I start to see things differently. Plein-air takes its name from a 19 th century French expression meaning “open air” and refers to a style of painting done outdoors, in one sitting, to capture a moment in nature. Inspired by the French Impressionists, Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven gave plein-air a distinctly Canadian flavour in the first half of the 20 th century. On the riverbank, I’m witnessing a rebirth of the style. Untamed Eye Inspired by Tom, Mark Berens Takes His Easel Outside LEFT Buffalo Point, Canoe Lake. 16x12. Berens’ second-ever plein-air. ABOVE Tom Thomson Cairn Landing, Canoe Lake . 24x24. Studio piece. ARTIST PROFILE