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A friend texted me the other day if I'd like to go and plein air paint with her.     I had been wanting to get out and paint and the weather was going to be near perfect. The answer was yes!

So why plein air paint? What is it? Basically it is a French term for painting outdoors and it is a very different experience than painting in studio.

 For one, you are at the mercy of the elements. You have to paint quick because the earth keeps moving thus so do  the shadows and the light!  Within a couple of hours you can have a very different painting than what you started out with.  You are also dealing with the wind, heat, cold and bugs which can sometimes end up embedded in the paint. 

Second, it always helps build your skills as a painter. Even if you have a bad day you learn something from it. You are training your mind to see the colour as it really looks in a scene.  Although I will always take a reference photo of my scene, it will never truly render the colour as we see it with our eyes.  There will be more colours in the darks and light areas that can be picked up by the camera.  It really helps build your skills of perception. 

Third, there are all the other senses that help you create a feel in the painting.  I want the viewer to be able to imagine the sound of the water and the relief it gives on a hot summers day.  The scent of the sweet air of the dried grasses of summer.   When I look at one of my plein air paintings I can immediately remember what I felt and sensed when I painted it.  My goal is that the viewer will feel a bit of that too. 

Decision made, the next morning we headed out early(ish) on our paint adventure. Paint gear, hat, sunscreen and  bug spray all loaded in an open Jeep. Off we go with the wind in our hair, tunes playing and we had as perfect a day as any painter could want. 

Here on the Westcoast summer has been late to the table, but finally it has arrived!  Not only does it feel great, but it can be very inspirational even if I am staying close to home this summer. 

                                                                             
Where does that inspiration come from you may wonder?  It can happen anytime throughout the day. Take for example, I ran an errand to get eggs from the farm across the way.  On my way home the path I was walking on was lit with dappled sunlight coming through the tall shade producing cedars overhead. The buttercups were  at my feet and my destination at the end of the path glowing in sunlight. It was stunning, but I had other things that needed to be done that day. So I took a moment to just observe and then pulled out my phone and took some shots of that scene. Later that evening while it was still fresh on my mind I grabbed a panel and painted it from memory and the photo.

Now that little study that you see above is being made into a larger painting that will be part of my new series that is  presently on the easel.  So don't forget to take note of the small wonders that surround you daily.

So what's your summer inspiration? Let me know!

  I sincerely hope you are having a great summer or at least the best you could possibly have, given our circumstances this year. As most, I am staying close to home and if I do go out to explore I am choosing quiet places away from large groups.

  This is my inspiration for the series I am working on presently. Summers can often be very hectic trying to fit so much in within a short period of time. This year is going to be a slower pace than most,where hopefully we can savour those summer moments before they fly away. Since I will be home for the most part, I plan to paint a variety of summer backyard still life’s.  I hope that when you look at them you feel yourself there and they speak of the lazy days of summer. 

  The painting here is one such moment.  I was inspired as I was enjoying an early summer’s evening. The scent of the honeysuckle was heavy in the air as my eyes feasted on the short lived lives of the peonies and alliums whilst they were still here. The sun was getting low in the sky but still giving it’s warmth, and an enjoyable glass of Pinot noir capped off the end of a full day.

  I hope to have many such moments this summer and I hope you do too. Stay tuned to see what pops up in my paintings. So what are your plans for this summer? I hope you have some great times regardless of the circumstances and make it a safe one!  Get outside and and enjoy what you have and be sure to inhale summer!