Gino Santa Maria’s “Evening Gift,” 24×36 oil on linen, is still a work in progress.

Gino Santa Maria shares his journey of artistic transformation through the discovery of plein air.

By Gino Santa Maria

In 2017, my discovery of plein air painting profoundly transformed my professional journey as an artist. This vibrant practice not only enhanced my ability to perceive color more acutely, but it also empowered me to reimagine the compositions I encountered, tailoring them to evoke a specific emotional response and aesthetic. The influence of plein air painting reverberated throughout my entire studio practice.

Historically, my output as a studio painter averaged between 12 and 18 paintings annually. However, plein air painting changed my creative process. Beginning in August 2017, I started to catalog my work by numbering each piece with my initials and a sequential number, like this: GSM-0001. To date, I have completed an astonishing 910 paintings, the majority of which are plein air works.

The exhilaration of finishing a painting on the same day I began was intoxicating, and the tangible progress I experienced was undeniable. With each piece, my skills sharpened, and my creations flourished. Painting two or three pieces a week soon became a gratifying routine.

As I delved into the lives of renowned artists through various audiobooks, the first being “The Lives of the Artists” by Giorgio Vasari—who was a contemporary of legends like Michelangelo and Leonardo—I found myself inspired by their unwavering dedication to their craft. Their commitment to individual pieces of art, regardless of the time and effort involved, produced the masterpieces that grace museums and buildings worldwide today.

The lesson I gleaned from these artists is clear: I will continue to embrace plein air painting as a vital part of my artistic practice while also dedicating time to create signature pieces in my studio that embody my full artistic capabilities, no matter how long the process may take.

I am immensely grateful for the friendships I have fostered and the resources available through the Heartland Art Club and the Missouri Plein Air Painters Association. The inspiration and challenges they provide serve as a reliable roadmap for my growth and development as an artist and as a human being.