I have been painting outdoors aka Plein air for many years. I was first introduced to painting outside of my studio when I moved to Denver and studied at the Denver Students Art League. I knew about painting from life and that was part of my art degree studies.
I fell in love with being outdoors and learned quickly that it is no romantic exercise. Weather is just one complication.
Now there are Plein air conventions, hundreds of competitons , a variety of Plein air equipment, and many Plein air organizations.
I rarely participate in Plein air competitions any more. I still paint outdoors but also rely on my outdoor studies for larger studio pieces.
I do still advocate painting outside. We learn to really see when we paint outside as well as paint from life.Photos do not give us enough information to truly paint the essence of a scene. We gain so much from being out in the field…we feel the scene and often make discoveries that improve our work.
Finding a group to paint with also is rewarding. I have friends who I have been painting with for over 25 years. We organize painting trips which of course include good food and conversation.
Soooo…get out and paint and do not think you have to be a part of a Plein air competition to justify being a Plein air paintier. Painting is a practice…and the more you paint from life the better your work will become.
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