Films · winter 2019 · 11 episodes, 593 clips

Painting outside
with Mark.

Winter 2019, a van and a drone. Two short films, eleven episodes, and the things I say to the camera when I think nobody will watch.

The films

One day,
two paintings.

On 22 February 2019 I painted the arch at Land’s End in the morning and the waves off Camino Cabo Este until sunset. Both days are on film. The arch went to a collector; the waves are still here, and both are prints.

The episode guide · 535 minutes of footage

Eleven stops,
one winter.

“Hello, people of planet Earth.”

Every episode opens with some version of hello to the people of Earth. Press one to hear it.

01

28 January

Julia Pfeiffer Burns, Big Sur

Waterfall at Julia Pfeiffer Burns

“What’s up. Today I’m at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, on the coast of California.”

Waterfall at Julia Pfeiffer Burns
22 min of footage
02

29 January

Pismo Beach, California

Arch Below the Inn at the Cove

“What up, people of social media land? So today’s episode brings us to the area of Pismo Beach, California.”

Arch Below the Inn at the Cove
76 min of footage
03

30 January

Lake Casitas, Ojai

Eucalyptus Trees near Lake Casitas

“What’s up, social media land? Today we’re right near Los Padres National Forest on the left side, and on the right side is Casitas Lake.”

Eucalyptus Trees near Lake Casitas
35 min of footage
04

3 February

Playa Hawaii, Baja

Sand Cliffs at Playa Hawaii

“In this episode we find ourselves in Baja California, on our way to Todos Santos, Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo. We just left California, and now, viva la México.”

Sand Cliffs at Playa Hawaii
54 min of footage
05

4 February

A rooftop in Loreto

View from the Roof

“What up, internet land? It’s Mark here with another episode of the life of a plein air painter. Today we find ourselves in rainy Loreto, Mexico.”

View from the Roof
29 min of footage
06

6 February

Loreto Bay

Backlit Palm Trees at Loreto Bay

“Hello, people of planet Earth. And welcome to another episode of painting outside with Mark.”

Backlit Palm Trees at Loreto Bay
28 min of footage
07

10 February

Rattlesnake Beach, south of Loreto

Rattlesnake Beach Shoreline

“Hello, people of the Earth! Today’s episode finds us in a little beach area just south of Puerto Escondido, called Rattlesnake Beach.”

Rattlesnake Beach Shoreline
47 min of footage
08

12 February

Playa Cerritos

Playa Los Cerritos

“What’s up, people of the world? We arrived last night at one of our favourite destinations in the Baja Peninsula, and that is Cerritos Beach.”

Playa Los Cerritos
53 min of footage
09

22 February, morning

Cabo San Lucas

Arch at Cabo

“What’s up, people of the Earth. I’m going to paint the arch in sort of downtown Cabo San Lucas.”

Arch at Cabo
Watch the film, 3:00 66 min of footage
10

22 February, afternoon

North of San José del Cabo

Waves Crashing off Camino Cabo Este

“What’s up, people of the Earth. Who knows what this beach is called, but it’s a sick beach. We’re on our way to Cabo Pulmo.”

Waves Crashing off Camino Cabo Este
Watch the film, 2:33 49 min of footage
11

23 February

San José del Cabo

Shoreline Rocks near San José del Cabo

“What’s up, people of the world, people of the Earth, beautiful homo sapiens. This is day two at the beach with no name.”

Shoreline Rocks near San José del Cabo
76 min of footage

In my words

Things I said
to the camera.

Sound on. 12 things I said out there, on light, looking, mixing, food and selling a painting off the easel. Press one to hear it, in the place I said it.

Light
“She’s a little overcast today, but that’s all right, because that means the light will be more consistent. I won’t be chasing the shadows.”
Pismo Beach, 29 January 2019
Light
“The clouds have rolled in and the shadows are different now. I don’t want to paint what I see now. I want to wait till those shadows come back.”
Playa Hawaii, Baja, February 2019
Looking
“I find an interesting composition, with interesting shapes and values. Those are the two primary things I look for. Then secondary is the colours.”
Pismo Beach, 29 January 2019
Looking
“Four shapes maximum. You don’t want to have too many things going on.”
Pismo Beach, 29 January 2019
Looking
“It’s this big, but I’m going to blow it up to this big.”
Cabo San Lucas, 22 February 2019
Mixing
“I’ll take the darkest colour, then mix a mid colour in that area, and even a highlight, and keep those three groups related to each other.”
Pismo Beach, 29 January 2019
Out there
“My paints are out, my paintbrush is ready, my palette… and I think most importantly, most importantly, most importantly, I have a chai latte.”
Pismo Beach, 29 January 2019
Out there
“Never underestimate the importance of a full stomach in order to concentrate.”
Loreto, 6 February 2019
Out there
“I need to eat something. I need a burrito, big time.”
Loreto, 6 February 2019
Selling
“This was the first time someone bought a painting off the easel. They walked up and said, “Hey, what are you doing? Can I buy that?” I said, “Yes, you can. I like cash.””
Fishing boats north of Loreto, February 2019
Done
“I’m kind of happy with this one. The next day I’m like, “Oh, that sucks.” Oh well, that’s the reality of doing this thing.”
Rattlesnake Beach, 10 February 2019
Done
“…to think about doing something you love to do, because I love doing this.”
Cabo San Lucas, 22 February 2019
Once a month

Letters from
the road.

New paintings, where I’m painting next, and the first look at new prints. One email a month, nothing else.