I don’t do a lot of “en plein air” painting because of the hassle, but when the opportunity came, I took it. Here’s a small art history lesson: in the 1860s, the impressionists lived through a major technological innovation… the PAINT TUBE! Before this invention, “plein air” painting was impossible; the old masters weren’t able to set up outside, nor did they have photography. Instead, they drew a lot in their sketchbooks and sometimes used watercolor, although that too was difficult. Then they would compile all their drawings together to create an oil painting in the studio. Obviously this generated much more creativity, since they relied heavily on their memory and, well, making stuff up!

In this painting I followed the same process: I started the painting “en plein air” like the impressionists, then let it dry and finished it in my studio. To be honest, I did take a few pictures because I do have a cell phone, but I stayed away from it and ended up finishing the painting based on my memory and my own creativity. In the end, I did feel “freer” and definitely “listened” more to my painting, as cheesy as that sounds!