Plein Air Painting Workshop Featuring Michael Obermeyer with Over the Hill Outfitters

Plein Air Painting Workshop Featuring Michael Obermeyer...

Plein Air Workshop Instructor Michael Obermeyer (courtesy Michael Obermeyer)

We are excited to be offering a new and unique opportunity to mix painting and the outdoors together. We have teamed up with award winning southern California artist, Michael Obermeyer, to offer this incredible experience of creating art in one of the most stunning landscapes in the world, the Weminuche Wilderness.

A native of Southern California, Michael Obermeyer received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration at California State University, Long Beach. A twenty year career in illustration included works for Disney Studios, the Anaheim Angels, McDonnell Douglas, Coldwell Banker, and the United States Air Force. Because of his illustration background, he is equally comfortable with the landscape and the figure. Many of his paintings are in the U.S. Air Force Historical Art Collection in the Smithsonian Institute and the Pentagon. He recently won the "Collector's Choice Award" at the Fifth Annual Laguna Beach Invitational Plein Air Competition as well as the "Award of Excellence" at the La Quinta Desert Plein Air and the Gold Medal at the Carmel Art Festival. Collectors include the Marriott Hotels and Resorts, The Irvine Company, Taylor Woodrow Homes and many corporate as well as private commissions. Michael is a member of the Oil Painters of America, The California Art Club, The Society of Illustrators, and a Signature Member of the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association. Currently, his paintings are showing at galleries in Carmel, Sonoma, and Laguna Beach, where he is also a regular exhibitor at the Festival of Arts. He maintains his studio in Laguna Beach, California.

ARTIST STATEMENT
"As an illustrator, I've always created art to fit others needs. Painting, however, offers me the opportunity to create for myself, to allow others to see how I perceive life around me, and to totally escape from the real world for awhile. I enjoy painting outdoors and working quickly. It keeps my paintings fresh and spontaneous. I especially like to paint as much of the open space that I can, as it seems to be rapidly disappearing. When painting outdoors, en plein air, I must work quickly due to the changing light. Therefore I have a limited palette of four to seven colors. This orderly layout also enables me to mix clean, fresh color.
I try to find subject matter that fascinates me. Nature provides the perfect balance of shape, value and color - the three elements that I find most important in painting. It can be so satisfying and I feel blessed for that."
Gregory Peck once said, 'I love my God, my wife, my family, and my job. I am the damn luckiest man on earth.' As someone who gets to paint for a living, that pretty much says it all for me.

Lonesome Ride (courtesy Michael Obermeyer)

This is a five day workshop with one day in Durango at the Palmer Quarter Horse Ranch and four days of horseback adventure out of the comfort of Over the Hill Outfitter’s high country basecamp. Horses will transport us and our equipment to remote and wild areas of the Weminuche Wilderness. Michael’s experience painting outdoors, en plein air and the spectacular landscapes will expand your horizons while you are completely submerged in nature. Wranglers and horses will be available to create authentic western scenes in the most beautiful mountains anywhere. Gourmet meals await at camp as you take in the last spectacular light at dusk followed by fireside question and answer sessions, far out stories and general mayhem.

This trip is limited to eight participants for undivided individual attention.