Pastel Landscape Painting in the National Parks
If you have an eye for nature’s beauty, this land is your land. Learn how one pastel artist captures the majestic national parks of North America.
By Anne Hevener
“Artists played a huge role in the creation of the national park system,” says pastel artist Doug Tweddale. He’s continued the tradition of artists celebrating the national parks with extended painting tours, accompanied by his wife Sue. In this conversation with Anne Hevener, editor-in-chief of Artists Magazine and Pastel Journal, Tweddale shares his process and how the parks strengthened his connection to nature. Don’t miss Tweddale’s travel tips at article’s end!
Planning a Dream
Doug Tweddale has carried two passions since childhood — painting and travel. It was difficult to pursue those interests in full force while he was working as a CEO and raising a family, so Tweddale always looked forward to retirement. “Most people think of retirement planning only in terms of financial resources, but the real planning doesn’t stop there,” he says. “The most meaningful and often forgotten steps are about articulating and living the passionate dreams we all carry within.”
Tweddale‘s retirement dream combined his love for art and travel. “I envisioned teaching workshops and ultimately doing a series of paintings in the national parks,” he says. “At first, I figured I would take multiple trips over the course of a few years, but then it dawned on me that I could take an extended trip by RV.” After his official retirement in the winter of 2014, Tweddale and his wife, Sue, began to plan. Their “National Park RV Tour” was a four-month extended painting trip throughout the American and Canadian West, which they took during the summer of 2015.
I asked the artist to share his experience and the impact it has had on his art-making.
Your interest in art goes back to childhood, but when did you develop an interest in pastel painting?
I’ve been painting with pastels for about 30 years, and before that, oils and watercolors. In 2000, I began studying with master pastelist Albert Handell, who introduced me to plein air painting in pastel. His workshops, which are held in beautiful western locations, sharpened my dream to travel the West. Albert’s wonderful mentoring taught me how to deepen my artistic perception for the subtle beauty contained within a scene and then express that in a painting.
Each year, I attended one or more workshops with him. I also began to extend business trips in order to paint. These activities kept my dreams of travel and art alive during my working years. Plein air painting became the meeting place for my love of art, travel, and nature.
How did you go about planning for the painting excursion? What kind of prep work did you do?
The mechanics of the trip were rather simple, actually. Buying a used but good-as-new RV was surprisingly reasonable. We learned that there are RV parks everywhere, particularly near the national parks. Even with poor gas mileage, our expenses came out below the cost of taking such an extensive trip by conventional means.
I also studied the history of the national parks and learned of the dedication of many conservationists over the years to preserve these lands. People like John Muir and John Wesley Powell lived into their passionate dreams, thereby benefiting us all. I learned about the National Park Service and Congress and their efforts to preserve these places of diverse beauty for future generations.
There have been a number of famous artists who took a particular interest in painting the national parks.
Artists played a huge role in the creation of the national park system. Thomas Moran, in particular, captured my attention. I realized that I’d be traveling to many of the same places that he had painted. There were some major differences, of course. He traveled by railroad, wagon, and horse, whereas I went by paved road, towing a trailer that Sue and I affectionately named “Conestoga Lite.” And while Moran kept detailed notebooks on his trips, Sue and I kept a blog.
How has the travel experience affected your art-making?
Traveling from one inspiring place to another kept my artistic juices flowing and expanded my creative expression. I felt greater freedom in my use of color and composition. My paintings became larger and looser. Before the trip, I strove for perfection and wanted each painting to be a “masterpiece.” During the trip, that self-imposed burden dropped away, and I just painted to reflect my emotional response.
What were some of the challenges of painting inside the national parks?
The parks can be quite crowded in peak season. Some locations had many busloads of visitors, so I used earbuds and listened to music to help block out the auditory distraction. I also tried to select areas less traveled, but there were times when I wanted to paint the famous landmark. On the positive side, many people stopped by to admire my work and ask questions. I kept an ample supply of business cards and brochures to hand out and even sold some of my paintings right on the spot.
Did the trip satisfy your wanderlust or simply whet your appetite for more cross-country painting tours?
Sue and I traveled 16,000 miles, visited 15 national parks, and stayed at 21 different campgrounds. I painted 60 paintings. We intended for the trip to be a once-in-a-lifetime extended plein air painting trip, but it became a way of life for us. We adapted to RV life so well that returning to our spacious house seemed strange. Living for more than three months in our humble little trailer reminded us of how incredibly happy one can be living with less. We’ve already completed a second three-month tour of national parks in the Southwest this past spring and will be traveling to Maine in August.
Did you learn any important lessons from having a daily dose of inspiration?
I’ve come to believe that creating a special painting can’t be willed. Instead, it arises organically as a dance between subject and artist, enhanced by the depth of inspiration and a little bit of luck.
The opportunity to take this trip strengthened my connection to nature. I’ve realized how this is a deep, ever-present well that I can dip into, lowering the bucket to reveal something refreshing, sustaining and life enriching. It’s a joyful dance between me and the world, with a painting being a tangible result of the experience. That is joy. That is why I paint.
The Artist’s Toolkit
Doug Tweddale shares his toolkit for his extended 16,000-mile trip.
- SURFACE: Pastelmat in 20×27-inch sheets of dark gray and brown. I enjoy the velvety texture of this paper and how well it holds pastel. It reminds me of the handmade ground I used to make with pumice and gesso.
- PASTELS: I use Nupastels for my first layer, because they’re a harder pastel that fills less tooth. I follow with softer Terry Ludwig pastels, which I love for the buttery creaminess and brilliant colors.
- OTHER: I carried my pastels in a large Heilman pastel box and used a Jullian French easel.
Doug Tweddale’s Travel Tips for Painters
Leaving home for a long period requires upfront planning. If you’d like to take your own extended travel-painting excursion, here are a few pointers:
- Prepare a detailed trip itinerary, including travel time and days between destinations. We tried to limit travel to no more than eight hours per day, including stops.
- Book RV campsite reservations (or hotels) in advance. This is essential if you’re staying near national parks during peak season.
- Bring a laptop or tablet computer and consider creating a personal WiFi travel connection to enhance security. Arrange for online banking (if you haven’t already done so) and set up automatic bill-pay for all your routine bills.
- Plan for mail delivery at designated times and locations. Have a trusted person forward any important mail in prepaid, pre-addressed USPS postal boxes.
- Plan for any other necessary services to care for your home during your travels, such as lawn care or snow removal.
- Stick to the schedule as much as possible. Last-minute adjustments to reservations are difficult to arrange.
- Have fun and enjoy the experience of new routines and artistic inspiration!
DOUGLAS TWEDDALE, of Montgomery County, Penn., is an associate member of the Pastel Society of America and enjoys membership in several other societies as well. He’s represented by various galleries and teaches regular pastel workshops. See more of his work and learn about his workshops at dougtweddale.com.
ANNE HEVENER is the editor-in-chief of Pastel Journal, where a version of this article originally appeared. Her favorite park visits include trips to Glacier, Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons and the Great Smoky Mountains.
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