Plein Air Painting (and sketching)

Standing next to flowers in full bloom, inspiration came from observing Oriental Poppies. I love the intense colors and it is good practice to train the eye to see in the moment.

Every Tuesday afternoon I have the opportunity to go to the Green Bay Botanical Garden and setup with sketchbook and easel along with a handful of other artists. A personal goal for me is to relax and enjoy the process rather than stress about the outcome. I had always been a studio painter until a couple years ago when I challenged myself to paint outdoors.

I now have several sketchbooks and most recently was inspired by my travels through the Amalfi coast. Some of these sketches were done on site, I’ll also finish working on them by referring back to the photos I took when I was on location.

I will be able to use my sketches as references along with photos if I decide to work larger. Sketches are studies for me, and some times lead to much bigger paintings. Sketches also help me to center being present in my thoughts, it becomes a form of mediation.

As I prepare for my first summer festival next Saturday, I still plan to make the time to sketch. For me, this is the beginning of my busy season with lots of hard work (and physical labor) traveling – setting up – exhibiting – talking to Patrons – selling art – end of show repacking and loading up – and repeat over and over! It’s a welcome release to keep the creative juices flowing with sketches in between the busy times.

Next Saturday I’ll be at Art in the Park, DePere