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Winter is over and it's time to get out in the field for plein-air painting.  Sounds great?  I know it's Yes for some people but for the others it may be one of those things that are easier said than done.  Especially if you made your studio too comfortable during harsh winter months, or if you have never painted outside, it may seem a bit daunting to venture out of the studio.  Well, you can relax and take a less intimidating approach: make a small sketch outside instead of a full-scale painting.

These small sketches, called fieldwork, are something I enjoy immensely.  The more you do, the easier it gets, and you will soon find yourself wanting to spend more time outside.  You can do fieldwork any way you want but I try to work with certain "rules" I made.  Here are some (followed by a little voice inside me):

(1) Work small and make sure to have 15 uninterrupted minutes to complete a sketch (Forget all the details that look too time-consuming)

(2) Keep the art material cost associated with it minimal (No problem using the back of a failed painting.  I've got a ton of them)

(3) Try to paint spontaneously and loosely (Who am I trying to impress?  Think "FEAR" is a four-letter word)

(4) Try to capture the moment (Feel the air, smell the smell, be engaged on a personal level)

(5) Enjoy the process (Don't worry about the result and no whining!)

Sometimes I finish a sketch that is surprisingly good because I successfully followed the "rules."  Honestly, however, I like each of my sketches regardless of the quality of the result.  These rules allow me to focus more on an emotional side rather than on a technical side of a creative process.  And I can see in a sketch something about the very essence of a subject which a photo cannot capture.  These sketches are not just wonderful reference but they also rekindle an old interest if I want to make a larger painting of the same subject later in the studio. 

Below are some sketches done in and around San Diego, California.

San Diego Downtown

Liberty Station, San Diego

Old Town, San Diego (above), Fallbrook (below)

San Diego Beaches

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