Full Circle

Perspectives from The Artist's Road

No doubt the growing popularity of outdoor painting over the last twenty years has encouraged many to take their paints outside the studio and see what comes of it. Paintings produced “en plein air” can look fresher, more spontaneous and fun—and of course, they are. What isn’t generally understood by the novice outdoor painter and the general public is how much hard work and experience it takes to produce those “spontaneous” paintings!

Having returned from teaching an intensive 3-day plein air watercolor workshop in the fabulous Longwood Gardens at Kennett Square, PA, we are in the process of assessing the strengths and weaknesses of our teaching methods. Plein air painting poses many challenges to the inexperienced and experienced painter alike, but perhaps the greatest challenge to conquer is learning how to see outdoors. Working outdoors is so different than painting in a controlled studio environment that one must learn over again how to see the subject while compensating for th…