THE TROUBLE WITH PLEIN AIR PAINTING

When I began painting twenty three years ago I was afraid commuting to a studio would seem like going to an office. I painted in our living room, our dining room, our sitting room, and most romantically out of doors in Monet’s plein air. I quickly discovered there is no such thing as plain air! I was chased by a bull I thought was a cow in Wales; thrashed by a sand storm on a beach in Normandy; and I watched helplessly as my painting floated down a river during a lunch break in the Catskills. Finally I had the perfect experience! It was a magnificent day. The sights and sounds and smells of the country were flowing through my body onto the canvas. A magical force was guiding my brush. I was experiencing the essence of plein air painting! Just at this moment a woman walked by and said to her child, “Look at the nice man painting, dear. Just like you do in kindergarten!”