Painting outdoors has become a popular art form among experienced artists as well as beginning painters. There is a trend for novices to “ dive in” and enjoy this new “sport”. The idea is simple and it is what the Impressionists loved doing most, going outside to paint the light. With an easel, canvas and paints in tow, anyone can experience nature more intimately through observing what they see and using the paint as a medium for expression. There is a learning curve and some practice involved before the paint actually expresses what you want it to, but it is never too late to learn. The process is an adventure and the results are rewarding.

For those of you who have given up perfectionism and immediate masterpieces are not your goal, you are ahead of the game. Learning anything new can be challenging but if you are in it for the joy of learning, being outside and becoming present in the moment, painting outdoors is perfect for you. It is similar to a sport in that way too, you may lose all sense of time and space as you focus on the beauty of the scene in front of you.

You can bet the Impressionists experienced the joy of painting through what they observed and felt at that moment. They became more involved and interested in how the sunlight changed the color of their subject and how the entire scene was covered in warm tones during a sunset and cool tones in the morning shadows.

So if you would like to try painting outdoors like the impressionists, stay tuned and let me know if you are interested in trying this at home. I would like to tell you more about what you need to get started in terms of supplies and what to look for once you go outside.

— Carrie