the stain that broke the myth

DAVID/DAVID, PLEIN AIR CYCLING TRIP - MONTPELIER, FRANCE TO THE VENICE BIENNALE, ITALY, 2011

David Spooner and I wanted to explore the origins of ‘plein air’ or outdoor painting. To do this, we devised a cycling trip from Montpellier in France to Venice in Italy. The journey saw us traveling nearly 1500 km.

Traveling and painting in oils presented a whole new set of challenges. To dry the paintings we sewed them on to our bikes and luggage. Because of these restraints, we painted small scale and sometimes directly on unstretched canvas.

The Stain that Broke the Myth is a novel we wrote about the trip.

Download the novel HERE

David Creed and David Spooner, 'Le Pradet Mountain Scene', 2011, oil paintings, 20cm x 20cm, photograph courtesy of Sarah Werkmeister