'Plein air' artist instructs workshop students to capture moment of inspiration

On a crystal-clear early summer night lit by a reddish-orange full moon, a group of people gather under a light beyond the Mississippi River floodwall in Cape Girardeau, watching the artist at work.

With quick, deft strokes of his brush, Billyo O'Donnell quickly paints the scene laid out before him -- the glow of the moon and the lights of the Emerson bridge reflecting off the water. A barge was in the picture when he began painting, and even though it's no longer visible, the ship's shape appears against the dark background of the trees on the Illinois side.

The crowd of about 10 watches every move with great interest -- they are O'Donnell's students who have been taking a four-day workshop with the landscape painter.

"Hopefully, what I'm able to teach is that celebration of paint and the wonderful things about it, so that one is able to express oneself with the many wonderful techniques that are out there," says O'Donnell.

The people who are taking the workshop are hoping to learn a lot about O'Donnell's style of painting, known by the French term "en plein air," which means using available light, or literally in the open air.

O'Donnell's style of landscape painting is all about the moment of inspiration, painting a scene at the same time it is viewed, instead of working from a photograph.

"I've learned to paint on location from life, and it becomes a document of my place in time, almost like a diary," said O'Donnell. "Everything has to pass through your eyes and come out your hand, and it carries your emotional content and a sense of who you are."

O'Donnell, who hails from Eureka, Mo., has become one of the country's well-known artists in the plein air style, with his work shown in several exhibits nationally and prominently featured at Gallery Grace in Laguna Beach, Calif.

The artist has traveled all across the United States painting oils inspired by French impressionism and the representation of natural beauty, braving frigid temperatures and scorching heat for the love of his craft. He wouldn't have it any other way, since painting outside is O'Donnell's true love.

"When you drive across the country you can actually see how the country changes," said O'Donnell. "As an artist it just opens your eyes."

And Marble Hill artist Dodi Conrad, who organized the workshop, couldn't be happier than to have O'Donnell back in the Southeast Missouri area for what is his third year in a row of workshops based at Bollinger Mill State Historic Site.

"He's one of the best artists of that style," said Conrad. "We're really fortunate to have him here in Missouri."

The day following the bridge-painting, O'Donnell is back at Bollinger Mill for a seven-hour stint to finish up the workshop. He works in the late afternoon haze of green and gold under the huge trees, giving demonstrations and pointers to his students.

The mill and covered bridge are one of his favorite scenes in Missouri, given that the Burfordville bridge is one of only four covered bridges remaining in the whole state.

O'Donnell loves the scene so much that he is using it as one of the paintings in his upcoming "Painting Missouri" book. The book features scenes from all 114 Missouri counties and the city of St. Louis, with historical essays by Karen Giles. The paintings are done, but the release date is still undetermined, since the printer is looking for a sponsor.

Scenes that will be included in the book are a watermelon stand in Scott County (at one time Scott County was the watermelon capital of America, said O'Donnell) and the view from Perry County's Tower Rock near Altenburg.

O'Donnell drove down as many roads as he could in each county looking for the best scenes, wearing out a van in the process.

"When I drove that van into the junkyard it had 295,000 miles on it," said O'Donnell. "Not all of that was from this project, but a lot of it was."

On this day O'Donnell is more concerned with his students, though, and teaching them how to build a better landscape. He gives them tips on perspective and line of sight and teaches them that contrast is more important than color.

"One out of eight people are colorblind," O'Donnell tells his eager pupils. "A painting built on values is going to be seen by more people than a painting built on colors."

His biggest piece of advice is to be fearless.

"You're only going to grow as artists if you push yourself," O'Donnell says. "Always look for ways to challenge yourself in terms of creativity. If there's something about this scene that moves me, I'm going to paint it."

For Sharon Forthofer of Sikeston, Mo., all of O'Donnell's advice is well-heeded. She's attended the workshop each year.

"Every year you learn something new, even though a lot of it is reviewing what you've already heard," Forthofer said.

msanders@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182