Painting Outdoors

I am supposed to be packing for a trip up north to ski and paint, instead of blogging. Happy to be back out in the field again. Have been spending the winter painting from photographs and doing still lifes. While both are OK and I get some valuable "brush time" there is nothing like being outdoors. You are living totally in the moment. You are observing the light, wind, shadows, clouds while making value and color choices to capture your observation before the light changes. It is quite exhilarating! Actually, very much like rolling a kayak. Relax. Tip over. Position the paddle, and slide up on the back of the boat. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. But it is always fun to keep trying and improving form.