Plein Air Watercolor

Last week, I drove up to Sister, OR and pulled off on a side road which had a beautiful view of the three sisters mountains, among many other mountain tops. I parked my van, grabbed my easel and paint supplies, and set up my stuff.

Plein air painting is the act of painting outdoors, and it is a great way to capture the beauty of nature. Sisters, Oregon is a beautiful town located in the Cascade Mountains, and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to do some painting.

I was practicing my live painting, since I’m doing Live Wedding Painting here in Bend, Oregon. (Bend is a great place for a destination wedding!) Live painting is so much different than studio painting. I really just love painting mountains on site whenever I can; painting mountains comes naturally for me (probably bc that’s most of what I paint).

It was super sunny, so I made sure to bring a hat and lots of water. Here’s a list of supplies I brought with me, if you want to try it for yourself:

• Watercolor (or acrylic or oil) paints

• Watercolor brushes

• Paper

• A palette

• A hat

• Sunscreen

• A water bottle

• Camera

Once you have your supplies, you are ready to start painting! I love the process of plein air painting. It’s a great way to relax and to connect with nature. I picked watercolor because I’m most comfortable with it and have used it for years. Other artists I know use oil and/or acrylic. There’s no rules! Just go for it!

Here are a few tips for painting plein air in the mountains:

• Choose a location with good lighting. The best time to paint is early in the morning or late in the afternoon when the light is soft and diffused. Although I did it mid-day bc i just got off work and that’s just how the timing lined up. =/

• Be aware of the weather conditions. If it is windy, you may need to use a heavier paper. If it is raining, maybe don’t paint in the rain? Unless you have to!

• Take breaks. Painting plein air can be tiring, so be sure to take breaks to rest and to enjoy the scenery.

I’m obsessed with how it turned out! Hope y’all enjoyed coming behind the scenes of my most recent painting adventure! Talk to ya later. Luv u byeeeee.