Landscape Paintings: Hanging out on the side of a mountain with my brushes

One of my most favorite ways to paint is en plein air.

En plein air (French pronunciation: ​[ɑ̃ plɛn ɛːʁ], French for outdoors, or plein air painting) is the act of painting outdoors.

While I don't get out of the studio as much as I might like to, there are several reasons why I love it so much.

It challenging, and you don't get any better by not challenging yourself! Finding your composition or scope of your painting is one thing. I've found bringing a view finder or even taking a picture on your phone to better understand how you will fit the scene onto your canvas or painting surface is a good way to start. I like to change the true proportions sometimes for a more interesting composition or to fit in all the important elements that I can.

It's also difficult with changing shadows and light with the passing clouds and the setting sun. I was discussing this with a woman from my drawing group and she says it's called "chasing the light." I travelled to Colorado last year to paint the mountains and quickly realized I was going to have to change my usual value-driven starting process because I could see for miles across some of the expanses I was looking over and the lighting was changing moment by moment. Here was my first view. This is in Arapaho National Forest. My mom and I (she's an artist too!) laid down blanket and set up our easels. It was amazing.

You also have fun things happen like being rained on and hearing guns shots too close for comfort.

That's a photo I took when I realized we were about to feel some precipitation, and I inevitably had to put on my finishing touches when I got back to the studio. I used acrylics and finished with oils when I got back.

Here's another stop at Grand Lake before entering Rocky Mountain National Park. I decided to play with my colors more than values to start with my new knowledge from my previous spot. I like exaggerating color anyway :)

Painting outdoors also is an awesome way to strike up some conversations. I love that people are curious and ask me questions when they see me. At this spot I had a number of chats with different people.

Here are a few more shots of some spots I've painted at.

This is out at my dad's property. I've painted and sketched out there a number of times just waiting on laundry! This is one of my last attempts in oils because I spilled paint thinner all over me here. I strictly paint with acrylics as opposed to my oils now when I'm outdoors because of the mess and toxicity oils present. Acrylics allow me to be more present-minded with my subject because I'm less concerned about getting paint or paint thinner everywhere.

Waiting for a friend to get off work in Kansas City at Berkley Riverfront Park. Good thing I brought my plein air backpack!

Meeting new art friends at Phelps Grove in Springfield, MO.

Pet sitting? Might as well bust out a mini while I'm out at a beautiful property feeding the animals. I didn't have any white paint with me! Had to rely on yellow and premixed aqua for lightening.

Driving across Kansas in the passenger seat? Seems like a great time to paint those beautiful clouds. That's kind of outside, yeah?

I need to start plotting my next spot!

Thanks for looking!
-Christie