Want to Paint Outdoors? Plein Air is a Great Way to Enjoy Nature
Boffins Public Place
I’ve visited here with friends to paint lily pads. It’s a beautiful location with coy fish in the pond.
It really is like nothing else... to be outside creating art, listening to the birds, saying hello to people walking by—witnessing and capturing the beauty around you—simultaneously. It has always amazed me how many people stop by to chat with you when you’re out painting. There is something inviting about art that allows strangers to connect. When you think of creating art, you often think of a person alone in a studio. The process of creating is often a lone sport but it doesn’t have to be!
As someone who enjoys being around people joining the Plein Air Club in Saskatoon has been a great outlet not only for my creativity but also for connecting with artists and friendly people who enjoy being outside. We often go to parks and paint along pathways where we encounter families or friends out for a stroll, walking the dog, or biking by. Sometimes we meet photographers or other artists or those who seem like they want to join in.
So if you like creating art, like to draw, colour, paint, you should join us. You will be glad that you did. There is no need to feel intimidated—the group is made up of all levels and the group is kind and encouraging. There isn’t any teaching or instruction so you come prepared to pick a scene you like and each does their own work of art for a few hours. The group is organized by Artist Jean Dudley and we meet at Hues Art Supplies on Taylor or we meet at the location on scheduled Saturdays throughout the summer.
Cranberry Flats, Saskatchewan
First plein air
I joined the group in 2016 after attending a plein air preparation class at Hues Art Supplies which helped me know how to pack. That was taught by Artist and Owner of Hues, Paul Trottier, who is part of the Men Who Paint group and also was my instructor at Forest Art Camp. Check out his plein air adventures! menwhopaint.com . My first outing was to Cranberry Flats, which in itself, was a new experience. I set up near the wooden pathway that takes you down to the river. Many people walked by including people with kayaks and rafts who would yell something like “did you get me in your painting?” I am not that fast! I was fascinated by seeing what others do on their weekends, including risking their lives on the Saskatchewan river. That first time, fortunately, went very well and I was hooked. So much so that I even signed up for the Forest Art Camp the following summer. That was a whole other level of dedication to plein air which I write about Experience at Forest Art Camp in Boreal Forest.
Some days my art just does not turn out looking like something I’d hang on my wall but most of the time I go home feeling elated that I got to spend that time outside in the beauty of God’s creation meeting and watching people enjoy the beauty too. And there are days I am excited with the final painting. With the plein air pieces that were successful for me, I tend to paint the same scene again in studio, sometimes over and over making adjustments and trying out new colour schemes. I find that painting with friends encourages you in three ways:
1) accountability of showing up when you say you’ll be there,
2) getting uber inspired by their artistic style, and
3) the group encouraging you to keep painting even when you are struggling.
Here are some of the pics from the groups’ outings. Consider joining us in 2021! Just call Hues to get on the email list.
