Painting outdoors is fun and rewarding. It's also exciting!
First, there's the wind. I have a good setup (see below). It's very stable, but painting in 30 mph gusts is a little disconcerting. Painting with my right hand and holding the easel and palette in place with the other hand is a new skill that needs to be added to my resume.
MOSQUITOS. I grew up in Michigan so I know mosquitos. They're a pain in the you know what. I've actually had to change my location because I would have been eaten alive. I'm talking about you, Tumalo Reservoir.
Finding the perfect place to paint has little to do with what's under foot. It's all about the scene and keeping the canvas and palette in the shade. Moving the setup to stay in shade requires some coordination and remembering that the ground under foot is not always level. CRASH. It's amazing how fast an entire setup can end up on the ground. Twice!
There are also man-made dangers that come with urban settings. SPRINKLERS! You know the sound when they're getting ready to blow. It's just a matter of time before you grab the whole setup and RUN!
This passes for fun right now. How about you?
Mary
