Roger Parsons paints landscapes of the American West and Southwest, for which he has won several awards. A stroke in 2011 ended Roger's structural engineering career, but launched his art career. He has studied with Arturo Chavez, Camille Przewodek, Dan Mieduch, Michael Lynch and Ovannes Berberian. Roger signs his work with a red dot at the end of his name, symbolizing the blood clot that caused his stroke.
Painting from memory is often overlooked and seldom taught. In the Texas Hill Country Atelier Plein Air Landscape class (held January 2024), we spent one lesson working on painting from memory. The painting below, “Mauve Sunset on the Coast of Sabah,” was painted from memory by Wilson Hurley, one of the premier American Landscape Artists.

How did he do that?
Hurley’s own words explain it best:
"All one has to do is experience one of these sunsets to realize that anything is possible in nature with light. Of course, the camera can catch the actual wave lengths, but, as usual, we had no camera with us the instant the whole world turned lavender. The camera would show a bright purple, where the eye, saturated with color, mutes it and adds almost a fluorescence to the emerald green of the foliage. I wrote down what I saw in words and drew an ink sketch of the cumulus clouds on the South China Sea with their tips combed flat by an upper wind from the east. Sometime we want to go back to Borneo and see this again, if it happens again."
- Wilson Hurley
Make no mistake, painting from memory is an advanced skill.
Hurley executed this painting when he was growing into his mature style. Hurley’s composition sketch and his notes on color values from direct observation, show that he was thinking analytically and applying his knowledge of how light behaves in nature and how the human eye perceives light.
Thinking analytically means describing the scene in terms of hue, value, and chroma. I emphasize thinking and knowledge, because these words are key in two of the many important statements in Edgar Payne’s book, Composition of Outdoor Painting.
“The most important ally in the study of painting is the art of thinking."
“Knowledge precedes execution.”
The artist must think and develop a sound knowledge of the fundamentals!
Painting from memory is a skill acquired only with much practice.
John Carlson points out in his book, Carlson’s Guide to Landscape Painting, that painting from memory is not for beginners, but is “the best method for developing the landscape sense.”
Beginners are still trying to master their medium and get a reasonable likeness of the scene in front of them. When the artist attains sufficient mastery to satisfactorily paint what they see, then one might begin practicing some memory work. As Carlson states, “A great deal of knowledge must be acquired through direct observation before memory can function unhampered.”
Painting from memory is such an important skill that Carlson devoted an entire chapter to it. He points out that painting from memory advances our artistic vision and creativity. Carlson states, “Probably the most important by-product of memory work is the stimulation of the powers of invention.” Our brains filters what we see. We have in our minds a vision of how we want the painting to turn out. Our memory distills and simplifies the scene down to its essential elements.

When you’re ready to practice painting from memory, use your notes, sketches, studies, and photos, and start a painting. After you get going (you’ve established a composition and basic color values), then set aside your aids (especially photos) and continue painting from memory!
This is when we use our knowledge, when we get creative, and truly CREATE.
Happy Painting,
Roger
Roger will be teaching
September 24-October 22, 2024 Tuesdays, 9:30-4:30.
$425
Roger Parsons painting from memory
at the Texas Hill Country Atelier's booth
at the Kerrville Farmers Market