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To me, a landscape painter, whether or not to go out to paint is not a question I have to ask.  No matter the season or no matter where I am.  I feel I must paint outside, from nature, from life.  Why?  I could say "just because."  Or I could say something like "I just love being outside."  That is true but it is also true that the idea of painting from photos never occurred to me when I started painting some 14 years ago.  The reason was simply because I didn't remember using photos the last time I painted in my distant memories.

I was a child in those active drawing/painting days of my life.  Children paint from life.  They paint with imagination.  Have you ever seen a child trying to copy from a photo?  I never have and I never did myself.  Their creativity knows no boundaries whether it is for a drawing or a sand castle or an impromptu dance or a chocolate cake that they happen to be making.  As a child, I remembered just how much fun it was to draw and make paintings freely and in any way I wanted.

So I was surprised when the first drawing/painting teacher I had 14 years ago told us to bring photos to work from.  I found it helpful to learn techniques in the quiet of a classroom but I was not quite a happy camper, to be honest.  Absolutely not because of the teaching but I think I just wanted to draw/paint the way I used to enjoy.  Like a child.  After that class, when I chose landscape as my main subject matter, it was just natural for me to paint outside and I never questioned why I had to (Read more about this in my previous post Plein Air or Studio?).

There are advantages in both plein-air and studio working styles and there are times when it's convenient for me to work in the studio and use photo references and on-site sketches, especially for my large-size exhibition pieces.  Also, going outside and painting well are two different things, and there's no guarantee that plein-air painting makes one a better painter.  I can say, however, from my experience, if you paint outside often, you learn fast.

I am an advocate of painting directly from life no matter what the subject.  Needless to say, I am extremely happy to go to Santa Fe, New Mexico in 10 days to attend the 7th Annual Plein Air Convention and Expo to have an opportunity to connect with 1,000 like-minded people.  And with more people in August at Art in the Open in Wexford, Ireland.

According to Plein Air magazine, outdoor painting is a movement that is rapidly gaining popularity in America and other parts of the world.  Sadly (to me), in the watercolor community, there doesn't seem to be a lot of painters who regularly venture out to paint from nature.

Spring has arrived and the weather has become much nicer and the landscape more colorful to enjoy the great outdoors.  If you have never tried it, let's pack some painting supplies and enjoy a great day sketching and painting en plein air!

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up."  Pablo Picasso

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