"Everything that is painted directly and on the spot has always a strength, a power, a vivacity of touch, which one cannot recover in the studio... three strokes of a brush in front of nature are worth more than two days of work at the easel.”

This description is attributed to Eugene Louis Boudin, who was amongst the first French painters to paint outdoors, and ‘on the spot.’ Indeed, this painterly style, known as plein air painting, brings with it an aura of spontaneity and authenticity that can often be utterly enchanting.

Amongst Pakistani artists, Anna Molka is known to have been a passionate advocate of plein air painting, as were the legendary artist Khalid Iqbal, his student Zulqarnain Haider, and then many others who followed in their footsteps.

Naela Aamir is also one such painter, who has faithfully devoted her art practice to this genre of creative self-expression. She continues to give credit to her teacher Zulqarnain Haider, for inspiring her to carry on the legacy of plein air painting.

In a digital world bombarded with mesmerising images that can be manipulated at will, successfully pursuing a seemingly straightforward, but actually demanding, work ethic in art, does indeed require not only talent but a good degree of personal conviction.

Naela Aamir’s plein air, or on-the-spot, painting focuses on the effects of light and rich and earthy colours to stir hope for better times

Be it still life, portraiture, landscape or cityscape, on-the-spot artwork is something all art students are still required to delve into, but not all are inclined to pursue it later with genuine passion. As for Aamir, her pursuit has not only been passionate, but also consistent, with cityscapes, landscapes and still life compositions being her forte.

A practising artist as well as a teacher and academician with more than 20 years of service at the Fine Arts Department, College of Art and Design at The University of Punjab, Aamir has slowly and steadily made a name for herself, winning various awards at the national level as well.

Her most recent solo exhibition, at Lahore’s Ocean Art Gallery, is a charming collection of mostly still-lifes and outdoor paintings that were made recently. Pastels and oils still continue to be her favoured mediums, and her prolific output of artwork in a span of a few months has been spurred by an international art challenge by Strada, a US-based company that supplies art equipment and encourages artists to opt for plein air painting.

One has been following her endeavours on social media as well, and it is indeed fascinating to see the spirit and energy Aamir devotes to her daily indulgence in ‘live’ sketching and painting, not only at her home but outside, as she goes around in her “car studio.” The work is then exhibited locally and, keeping in view the pandemic situation, viewers are also given the option to savour the artworks through online participation.

Light effects, and a combination of rich and earthy colours, continue to be Aamir’s hallmark, though her current work appears particularly evocative in terms of the jewel-like colours employed. It’s actually interesting to note how various artists actually thrived during this period of pandemic-induced social isolation, finding refuge in their imagination, and here too this phenomenon seems apparent.

Aamir’s recent works were made mostly during 2021’s cold winter, but her colours are invariably the bright hues of spring. Whether it is the bright yellow mustard fields on the outskirts of Lahore, a bouquet of flowers sent by a loved one, or a still-life arrangement featuring a variety of textures and colours, one can see the artist’s need for rich colours and light effects that can lift the soul.

Not surprisingly, she eventually titled her exhibition “Baad-i-Nau Bahar”, or the Breeze of a New Spring, a title reminiscent of Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s poetic verses eulogising spring. Be it through a poet or a painter, such a vision comes across as not only romantic, but evocative of hope for happier times.

“Baad-i-Nau Bahar” was held at Ocean Art Gallery in Lahore from March 25, 2021 to April 3, 2021

Published in Dawn, EOS, April 18th, 2021