Plein air drawing at Green Lake in Seattle

I have always been facilitated by plein air painting. Being in nature and capturing the beauty of the environment around you always seemed so perfect. For many years, I have tried plein air painting, but I seemed to run into obstacles like weather, supplies, and timing.

When my family and I started our epic trip cross country back in May, I decided for once and for all to give plein air painting a real go. For weeks before my trip, I spent days researching the perfect easel to take along. Since we were camping, I had to be conscience of the weight and size of everything that I brought on the trip, so my classic French easel wasn’t going to make the cut for this adventure. James Gurney, one of my favorite artists and YouTubers, created a guide to building a custom easel setup out of clamps and lightweight wood then suspended on essentially a camera tripod. I thought, “how ingenious!”, but with limited time, I didn’t have the luxury to construct my own custom easel. So, I went to one of my go-to marketplaces for unusual items, Etsy, and found a comparable setup for $100.

Testing my new plein air easel in my backyard.

Next, I needed to decide what mediums to take along. My instinct is typically to reach for the oil paints which work well if you have extended periods of time and plenty of space for drying time. Our itinerary for the trip was very packed with only a few days at key locations like Rocky Mountain National Park and Grand Tetons. As such, I had to think about efficiency with my materials: quick drying and little mess. My final selection came down to a set of Rembrandt pastels and travel watercolor kit.

Packed up and on the road, my family and I headed to the Rocky Mountains first. It was beautiful country teaming with wildlife – plenty of opportunities to capture some great scenes for plein air, or so I thought. Once we settled into our campground at an elevation of 8,500 feet, I found that the thin air and unpredictable weather took me by surprise. Living at a lower elevation, I was not used to the atmospheric changes and spent the first couple of days suffering from “elevation sickness”. Not the most pleasant way to start a long trip, but I recovered, then set out one afternoon to dive into my plein air supplies. One important fact to note: the higher the elevation, the stronger the wind and rain can be. On my first attempt to paint outside, I spent most of my time chasing my supplies and grounding my easel before finally giving up. I settled for taking as many pictures as possible, so I can later recreate the moment in a quieter, more climate controlled area.

After leaving Rocky Mountain Park, we continued to puddle jump across America in order to visit our families. These days allowed little for plein air adventures, so I relied on my digital camera to collect as many stunning sunsets and points of interest as I could. Driving through the Midwest doesn’t provide too many inspirational moments as the west…regardless, I made do with what I saw.

On week three of our cross country trip, we made it to the highlight of our trip: The Grand Tetons. I had been to Yellowstone several years ago, but the Grand Tetons seemed even more stunning than that. With our new campsite at lower elevation, I was able to find the energy to try a couple live plein air pastel drawings during my stay. One challenge that many plein air artists face is disruptions, and in a busy park like Grand Tetons, I had to work hard to keep my focus while hoards of tourists wandered around the hiking trails. What I wasn’t able to finish on site, I took a picture to use as reference to complete later.

On our way home back to Seattle, I am still awestruck by the incredible landscape that I have the privilege to live in. Though my original plan was a create a portfolio of new plein air pieces, I realized that the best plans don’t always work out, and as an artist, I often have to work within the constraints of what life gives me. After a month on the road, my family and I were happy to be back, and I did complete a few drawings that I started on the road. No matter where I go, I keep my camera handy, because you never know where the muse may strike.

References

James Gurney. How to Make a Sketch Easel: Tools and Materials. YouTube. https://youtu.be/Pm1cS37f05k

Rembrandt Soft Pastels and Sets. Dick Blick Art. https://www.dickblick.com/products/rembrandt-soft-pastels/?fromSearch=/search/?searchword=rembrandt pastels