Plein Air Season

After wanting to for quite awhile, I’ve been getting out the last few weeks to paint in the park. And I have to tell you, it is… uncomfortable.

It is always too cold, and yet I get sunburned. It’s windy. Maybe there are aggressive squirrels. Recently an observer commented that she “used to do that” when she was in college, or before college. Her tone suggested that the rest of the statement was “but now I’m a grown up.” Plein Air requires leaving the safety of the studio and being out where weather, or unhelpful comments can assail you.

Plein air requires persistence. The discomfort I mentioned is only part of it. This is your moment and the light might change, the weather might change. You have to work now, because it will be different later. If you forgot your palette, like I did the first time out, you have to improvise. (Canvas does not make a good palette.) If you don’t like the colors or you are starting to feel regret about where you are standing, you persist. Back ache? Too bright? Persistence.

Lastly, you cannot be a perfectionist. Because of all the above things, you do your best and move on when you are done. There is no fussing. There’s no time for overthinking. You try to capture the moment as best as you can and you live with it. Maybe this is your best painting, or maybe it will be forgettable. The experience, being in the moment, and the fun of it are the point.