The Sport of Plein Air Painting

Mt. Index Art Adventures

Teresa Stern, artist at large..

Some days I do feel like "plein air", meaning outdoor, painting is a bit like a sport! There's gear to carry, terrain to navigate, and unexpected weather to outwit. But instead of chasing a score, you’re chasing the light.

Here in the Pacific Northwest, we’re surrounded by a plethora of natural inspiration: snowy mountains, dramatic coastlines, mossy forests, and moody skies. It’s an artist's dream that comes with real-world paint outdoors challenges. Weather, changing light, and critters all come with the beautiful territory. But when it all comes together, the rewards feel like a win!

Where Do I Start?

The top question I get from aspiring plein air painters is: How do I get started?

You don’t need a full professional setup to begin. Start simple, with what you have already, then expand if you find you like the thrill of painting outdoors (and there’s a good chance you will). I created my first plein air oil painting at a local park years ago, using a big mixed media sketchbook and the picnic table instead of an easel. It’s so different than painting in my studio; outside the wind made my papers flap and sometimes a bug lands in the wet paint! People wander by and ask "what are you up to?" My take away though was that the act of observing the twisting Madrone tree branches and their shifting shadows as I was painting gave more life to my creation. And my first tip was gleaned, bring paper clips and binder clips to secure paper or panels from the wind.

I don't know what happened to that first attempt, but I caught the plein air bug and kept going! I've collected gear, joined the Plein Air Washington Artists group, and taken classes to expand my plein air agility. There is a feeling of immediacy and connection that just doesn’t exist anywhere else, except by being “there” wherever there is!

So, as a test, I recommend that if you’re interested in plein air painting, just get outside, in your yard, a park, or on your next hike, and paint or draw a view, or even a single flower with any art materials you have on hand – markers or watercolors and paper or paints and canvas or panel. Use an easel if you have one, or a bench, camp table, or stool. And then, if you catch the plein air calling, gather more gear over time to allow your painting adventures to travel farther afield.

I've started compiling a Plein Air Painting Pack List, so stay tuned for that in my next post!

Mt. Index - Plein Air Painting

From Left to Right: Setting up, Composition Tool, and my Value Notes

Left: Initial stages of the painting; Right: Finished painting of Mt Index and Mt. Persis

What Should I Paint?

For me, the ongoing question is what should I paint today? Out in the world, the landscape is vast, often with an abundance of beautiful views. It can feel overwhelming! The more I paint outdoors, the more I realize that there are things that I look for and that inspire me to spend the time it takes to explore through paint:

• Strong shapes with movement

• Good contrast between light and shadow

• Interesting colors

• Drama in some mix of the above

On the Index trip, it was Mt. Index itself, peeking out between a zigzag of clouds, that first caught my eye. The scene offered shape, movement, contrast, and misty purple-blues against deep greens. Later in the day, in full sun, the strong shadows on a little red house popped out to me, with the climbing walls towering beyond definitely adding to the drama. I used my viewfinder to develop my layout and proportions, squeezed my paints onto the palette, and mixed my first few colors…

I prefer to work small en plein air. I also remind myself that it’s more important to just do it, than to chase “perfection”. Each time, the goal is to paint as well as I can that day. With every painting is progress. Not every canvas is a "winning game" but to play the game at all offers opportunities to learn, experiment, and improve the coordination between what I physically observe, what I envision in my mind, and what my hand can create on the canvas.

Final Thoughts

Plein air painting invites you to slow down, practice the art of observation, and interact with the landscape in a deeply personal way. It might not always be easy—wind, glare, bugs, and all—but the attempt alone is a win.

The Little Red House, isn't it adorable?

Light and Shadow Play

Shadows move, and it's best to decide up front which light and shadow pattern you will paint: the ones you saw when you started or plan for future ones that will appear later during your session. In this case, I started painting with mid day shadows, but the late afternoon shadows that appeared by the time I wrapped up for the day were even more dramatic. So I made some adjustments as I completed the painting the next day. Can you see the differences between the initial pass (middle, on the grass) and the final painting (far right)?

Browse more of my Plein Air Paintings, including available works, on my Plein Air page HERE.

Ready, Set, Glow

When I saw the historic Bush House Inn, I just knew I wanted to paint it. After a lovely lunch time talk with local artist Alan Peterson in the horse barn he and wife Frances Peterson have transformed into a tiny gem of a gallery, I discovered the view from the side of the Inn with Mt. Index in the background. I returned after dinner, and started sketching. As I started laying out the painting, I waited for the light to change so I could capture the cozy glow of illuminated windows and the soft orange light and purple shadows of sunset that fell onto the white siding.