Plein air painting is a fancy way of saying, ‘We will be painting outside’. Much of what inspires us to paint is what we see in nature. When we paint outside, nature is all around us, up close and personal! It is everywhere we look and affects every brush stoke we make. Don’t be fooled into thinking that plein air painting is easy…there are many challenges that the artist faces. First, how do I get all of THAT on this small piece of paper (I once tried to paint the Grand Canyon on a 4 x 6 inch piece of paper)?!?!? Second, the light keeps changing…..my paper is already dry….the wind keeps blowing my easel over….I have bugs stuck to my paper…..get it?…challenging. With effort and creativity, we can overcome these challenges and enjoy the great outdoors.