Last week, I went out for my first plein air session of the warm season. It was a glorious spring day- the birds were signing, the sun was shining- and although I've been plein air painting for close to a decade, I found myself a bit at loose ends. To start off, I didn't have a clear idea or strong feeling about where I wanted to paint, I just knew I wanted to be outside. When that happens I usually just head out, start to get a feel for the day, and then choose a site that seems like it will fit the conditions. On this day, I bounced from location to location, not getting inspired and startin ..read more

To loosely quote a famous frog- it's not easy painting green. Using the color green properly can be a challenging part of landscape painting, but spring greens bring it to a whole new level. They are bright, acidic, and it's easy for them to appear unnatural if not handled carefully. Plus, those first-greens are fleeting, so we don't get much time to paint them. Plein air painting year-round has taught me a lot about what makes each season unique. Some of the joy I get from painting outside is watching for the signals of each season, and seeing how the landscape transitions as each one comes ..read more

,Disclaimer: Intellectual property (a.k.a- I.P.) is a complex and evolving area (that even some lawyers don't understand very well). This post is written from my perspective as someone who used to work in the I.P., art rights industry. I am not a lawyer- so it should not be construed as legal advice. For specific questions you should always consult an attorney who is qualified in this area of law. For artists there are generally two sides to the intellectual property coin- creation and use. In this post we'll focus on creation, in part 2 we'll talk about use. Fast Track, copyright Meg Bandarr ..read more

There are some great skills to be gained from painting outside, which is why I think every artist should practice plein air painting (even if it's just in your backyard). As I settled in at my easel I felt a familiar sense of calm wash over me and realized that it's the feeling I associate with plein air painting- which is maybe why I happily push aside any negative aspects that come with painting outside (bugs, wind, schlepping supplies in and out of the car). Painting plein air is a meditative activity for me, I find that once I slip into "the zone" I work very intuitively. It's amazing how ..read more

Here's a list of some of my favorite pastel items that would make great additions to a holiday gift list. This list is in no way sponsored, they're just items I enjoy and thought you might too! Pastel Accessories: Colour Shaper Tool- Silicone brush that's great for sharpening/cleaning up lines, removing stray pastel, and blending. Fan Brush- Good for delicately removing/blending pastel. Photography Tripod & SunEden Traveling Easel Adapter- Tripods don't have to be expensive, my first one (that I used for years) was $20 on Amazon. There are several tripod easel adapters on the market, I h ..read more

The bright colors of autumn foliage are really fun to paint, but there are some things artists have to watch out for when creating these seasonal landscapes. For one thing it's very easy to for fall scenes to become unnaturally bright and over-saturated, this has to do with color relativity and the way we perceive color. Color relativity is a complex subject (you can read about in more detail in these two posts: Color Relativity Part 1 and Part 2) but in a nutshell- each color is influenced by the colors surrounding it. Autumn landscapes tend to contain a lot of complementary color pairings ..read more

If you have a goal to make more art or you're not feeling very inspired or motivated, and need to get your creative juices flowing, these exercises can help. Exercise 1 Make a series of small pieces under a time limit: Set up a board with a series of small pieces and give yourself a time limit to paint each one (e.g. Six 5x7" pieces, with 30 minutes for each one). The size of the piece and time you allow yourself can vary depending on how large and how fast you normally work. Once the time limit has expired move to the next piece, try not to worry about the finished level or skill in each piec ..read more

Everyone's plein air setup is unique. The items I bring outside with me are slightly different from what another artist brings outside with them. I always enjoy seeing what kind of supplies other people have, and thought it might be fun to share mine, so here are some of the most useful supplies I take when I go outside to paint: First and most important is my easel, which is actually a tripod with an easel attachment. I like using a tripod instead of a more traditional wooden plein air easel because they're lighter, quicker to setup, and I think they handle uneven ground a bit better. I also ..read more

There are two things I see over and over again when someone is new to the pastel medium. These two traps (as I like to call them) are understandable, but unfortunately end up holding the artist (and their artwork) back. If you fall into these traps, you may even feel so frustrated that you give up on pastel. So what are they, and more importantly how do you avoid them? Trap 1- Not buying quality pastels. Trap 2- Not giving yourself enough pastels to work with. I understand not wanting to break the bank when you're trying a new medium. People often worry about the "what if's": What if I don't ..read more

"I don't have the right color" every pastel painter has said this, but when you're newer to the medium and still building your collection, you probably really don't have enough colors and need additional pastels to create a more well rounded palette. Deciding which pastel sets to buy can seem like a daunting task, but the good news is- the answer is right at your fingertips- the pastels you already have will tell you which pastels you need. First things first, I'm going to talk a lot about color value and temperature, if you're unfamiliar with those terms, read these posts before continuing ..read more