What do you prefer about plein-air painting over creating landscape works in the studio?
I feel that it teaches you everything the impressionists taught us. When they left the studio, they went out and learned how the visual world works. I believe if you are going to be good painter, you need to know how the visual world works. You only learn it really well by going outside and painting light and shadow patterns. I think the studio kills spontaneity. I was a ballet dancer, and I draw a parallel to ballet dancing—you spend years practicing all the rules and then take it out on the stage and feel free to emote. If you are going to be an excellent painter, you have to put the brush miles in. You have to see how nature is constantly employing the rules and breaking the rules. Why do you enjoy painting in the Abiquiu area? I just spent the last four days far south in New Mexico, and as I headed back north and got closer to Abiquiu, I noticed how the landscape gets more interesting. There is so much more variety of color. There is a wonderful contrast of warms and cools. You hav
