A good friend of mine (“S”) and I go out on plein air jaunts when we can. In our case, since we both provide a lot of support to our extended families, it’s hard to commit to a rock-solid painting date. (And by families, I mean the whole extended messy, wonderful village.) When we do make it happen, it’s a “life is good” time.

Finding the perfect plein air spot

Jumping right into, “Where shall we go today?”, always brings up images of being outside, connecting with nature and doing something together that we love. Given our pesky time constraints, we often take the easy path of settling for something local with easy access. A community hiking trail, a neighborhood park, an urban setting with interesting architectural elements — all have potential.

Finding the right “there” to paint should include a quick review of its availability and accessibility. For example, recently we drove all over town looking for alternative spots after learning that our coffeeshop of choice was closed on Mondays and our “Plan B” setting, an urban park, had limited parking. So, we pivoted and chose a city park with good vantage points just a few dozen feet from our cars. No matter where we end up, it always seems to present something of interest. We’ve never had a “bust”. Although one time, we nearly froze trying to finish up our paintings as the sun set and the temperature dropped into the 30’s. No matter how much swaddling in blankets and coats, it couldn’t help our fingers, which became too cold to move. Still, we rated our experience with a big plus.

We set off on each trip with a positivity that something good will come from it.

Once we get to our general destination site, we wander around a bit to find just the right spot. We stop only after a final winnowing of possible candidates with the right vibe. That usually sounds like: “Can you work with this spot?” “Yep”. Then, we relax and settle down to painting. It’s all part of our ritual of getting outdoors to paint.

A recent outing

On a recent outing, we ended up at Stuart & Emma Thomas Memorial Trail in Winston-Salem, NC. We found our spot after hiking for a half mile or so. It gave us a view of the distant grassy slopes of farmland boarded by wildflowers and forested patches. In a matter of minutes, we set up our gear, making sure we we’re not an obstacle to others. And for the next several hours, we hear only the chorus of song birds and buzzing bees and an occasional comment from one another. It doesn’t get much more peaceful than that.

Using gouache paints, I zeroed in on capturing the central part of our view. I couldn’t resist framing the lower half of the painting with a suggestion of tangled vegetation. The result is, “Sun’s Burn Off at Stuart & Emma Memorial Trail, Winston-Salem, NC”.

Imagine how exciting it was for artists in the 1800s to shift to painting en plein air as art supplies became more portable. It complemented the French Impressionists‘ focus on light and supporting their new painting styles.

Painting outdoors with gouache

Painting with gouache paints en plein air isn’t as quick as opening a watercolor traveling palette because you have to prep your palette. This can mean bringing your paint tubes, which is what I did. Alternatively, you can use an air-tight palette with small cells and fill them beforehand with straight-from-the-tube paint or with your pre-mixed colors, or use jelly gouache.

Gouache’s versatility offers me the ability to build up under layers quickly, working in any order of light to dark or the reverse, with the added advantage of being able to correct mistakes. I find the flow of ideas to execution very satisfying.

Painting outside has all of the obvious benefits: fresh air, original subject matter, and in my case spending time with a friend and fellow artist, even if much of it is in silence. Each of us is in another mental zone and hours pass happily as we barely utter a word. 

For more information about traveling gear for plein air session, click on my blog post below:

Building a plein air easel with ergonomics