9 Plein Air Painting Tips and A Packing Check List

Earlier this summer I had the pleasure of spending a couple of days plein air painting down at Sugar Beach in Grayson State Park, in Florida. The painting conditions were perfect; a cool breeze, very few people, the shade of a pavilion and a red wing blackbird singing all day for company.

My Top 9 Plein Air Painting Tips

Here are few helpful hints to consider when choosing a location, a subject and progressing through the painting process.

Lavender Shadows on Sugar Beach, 9x6, on on oil primed linen

1. Scout out locations ahead of time if possible. Consider crowds, wind, angle of the sun, shade and the closest bathroom if you plan on painting for very long.

2. Set up in the shade to avoid the glare of the sun on the painting's surface. Think of where the sun is and where it will be in a couple of hours. Look for a spot out of the wind. 

3. Think about your physical comfort. Bring extra clothes, standing in the shade for a few hours can get chilly. Gardening gloves with the fingers cut out are great for keeping hands warm. (59 degrees standing still for hours in the shade is cold!) Hats, bug spray, sun screen, etc. (See below for a list of supplies to pack for your comfort)

Click Read More below for the rest of the tips and a packing check list.

April Painting Fools in Pennsylvania

After the opening of The Expedition and Beyond at Principle Gallery, Alexandria Va, in April those of us that could sneak away for a few extra days went up to artist Catherine Prescott's home in Pennsylvania for a little camaraderie and painting time together.

Sadie Valeri, Carly Strickland, me, Linda Tracey Brandon, Catherine Prescott, Diane Feissel, Front row, Rachel Constantine, Alexandra Tyng, Stefanie Tewes, Alia El-Bermani

Plein Air-less Painting, this is the Expedition and Beyond group, now that's hard core! (image inspired by all those pictures of outdoor painters in EXTREME weather conditions)

The Women Painting Women, Expedition and Beyond show is over at Principle Gallery, but you may still purchase or view the catalog. It is marked down to the post show price of $15.00. It is also available as a digital download for only $2.90. The digital download is FREE with a print version.

This is Cathy in her studio with one of her fabulous paintings.

Rachel Constantine and Cathy Prescott painting out Cathy's back door.

 This is the hill out behind Catherine's home.

Catherine's Field, 12x9, oil on panel

My daughter Carly, who is an illustrator, was with me this time, so she enjoyed a little plein air painting on her laptop. Here's a post she did on her blog about it. After she met these artists she more fully understands my appreciation of this group!

Carly's illustration she did plein air from that session.

I was unprepared for how beautiful Pennsylvania is.

Sweet Breetches Creek. 9x12, oil on panel

Awesome, painting in PJ's or with a cat on your lap. Totally my idea of a vacation.

I'm enjoying this kind for speed painting, since most of my work is more what I'd call slow painting. It has given me a new appreciation for alla-prima and plein-air landscape work. Happy painting whatever your speed!

Farewell San Francisco!

The last few days were spent exploring the city's delicious art and painting in it's garden's.

Jacob Pfeiffer at John Pence Gallery.

Will Wilson at John Pence Gallery.

John Pence Gallery.

We found this Banksy on Howard and 9th,

Went in search of a reported Banksy on Haight Street and all that's left is the small dribble of red. We were stunned that it had been painted over!

Yarn Bomb, another type of pretty cool street art.

My daughter and I painting at the Japanese Tea Garden in the Golden Gate Park.  9x12, oil on panel

A small plein air oil sketch I did at the Golden Gate Park. "Water Lilies", 9x12, oil on panel

On our way home from San Francisco, we just happened to run in to Nowell and Sadie Valeri, who we had had the privilege of house-sitting for for the past two weeks. Destiny had intervened once again to cross our paths and it was a wonderful end to our trip.

If you are still looking for inspiration San Francisco style check out Sadie Valeri's artwork here. She will be posting work on from her five weeks spent in France soon!

The Big Picture is in the Details-WPW on Expedition

We were 12 artists on Sullivan's Island, SC, getting to know each other. We were strangers in the beginning, but that all changed!

I wanted to add a bit about what the rest of the WPW on Expedition trip was like after the opening at Robert Lange Studios. There was painting during the day and sometimes in the evening as well. The living room was transformed into a studio.

 Here's my oil sketch of Lauren.

A small burnt umber rub-out sketch that I did during one of the evening sessions.

The foyer was full of gear. Luckily it was a very big house.

The first morning we painted at Magnolia Cemetery. It was chilly and I was more concerned about about staying warm than looking cool. I simply must figure out how to look good while plein air painting before the next trip. Gotta invest in some cool hats like Mia Bergeron.

This is my first plein air painting, I spent most of the time trying to figure out how to see with the glare. I ditched the white apron, which was bouncing glare on to the painting. Other plein air painters in the group said, yes that's why plein air painters wear dark colors. Who knew?

Alex Tyng suggested that the light changes too much after about two hours so it's best to do a couple of paintings rather that one that you just keep changing. I felt like I was chacing the light. So, rather than cart all my stuff to another spot in the cemetery I simply turned around and saw an interesting pattern of light on a Celtic cross headstone. This was my second plein air painting. I think this is a more successful piece.

 This is Alia El-Bermani with her painting that day.

Another day we painted at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. I love red and couldn't resist the bridge with the bright green duck weed in front of it. My friend, Birmingham artist Justine Rynearson had suggested to me from her experience to look for contrast in the environment, that you could get lost in too much green. Good plein air painting advice and I heard her voice as soon as I saw the red bridge.

Sadie Valeri, Rachel Constantine and Mia Bergeron choosing their views, tough choice when every view was breathtaking!

 Rachel Constantine and Kate Stone painting on the bridge.

I had learned something the day before about where to set up. Try to find a place where your easel is in the shade and will stay there...that's the tricky part. This spot turned out to be a good one although I did struggle a little with the light aand shadow leaf patterns playing on the panel.

Meanwhile back at the house...we had a great view from our backyard. This is one I did at mid-morning and here is my great set-up that day. I had to strap the umbrella I'd borrowed from the deck to the chair since it was trying to blow away. The only issue was that I couldn't stand up cause the wind would have taken the entire chair away. I was thrilled to see that my linseed oil fit perfectly into the drink holder, ah...simple pleasures.

For this one I painted the water, waited for the color in the sky to deepen, then painted it as fast as I could adding extra colors into the sand and water. Here I am working on the sunset piece, still chilly and bundled up.

One night we were guests at the Isle of Hope home of Charleston artist Shannon Runquist. Shannon and her husband Lars cooked an amazing southern meal complete with steamed oysters, grits and shrimp, boiled peanuts and banana pudding for dinner.

All during the week we put on display work we'd done during the day. It was like magic to see the work pile up!

Our last night on Sullivan's Island, Rob and Megan Lange, and Carrie Schwab from Robert Lange Studios came by the house to say goodbye.

Whew, what a week! My previous posts about the WPW show are here, others on the trip are listed on the WPW site. Also check out another artist from the Women Painting Women Show, Sara Scribner!