Get Outside and Paint

Bruce Gomez painting at the Sedona Plein Air Festival
on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2015. 

Sedona Plein Air Festival

The Sedona Plein Air Festival began on Saturday. It's the first plein air festival I have ever attended. The experience has me energized to the max.

Get Outside!

If you are an artist, or just love to paint, get outside! The fall season right now in many locations in the U. S. makes for the perfect weather to get outside and paint. Think of the beauty that awaits to envelop you, the crisp cool air hitting your cheeks, and the wind that brings fresh new air.

Sedona Challenge

Sedona is such a beautiful location. The mountains, full of striations, have intimidated me, holding me back from delving too deeply into painting them. Watching the plein air painters meet this challenge has given me new hope. It also inspires me to get outside more often and paint.

I did get outside to tackle one of the famous rock formations here in Sedona, Cathedral Rock. My outside setup was very simple for the painting plein air session of Pilgrimage, below. I threw about four colors of liquid paint into a plastic bag, popped that into another bag along with paper towels and plastic and my brushes. I painted on the ground since my easel had another painting on it that I didn't want to disturb. It worked out fine.

I started this painting outdoors and finished it in the studio.
Pilgrimage, 12 x 12 inches, Acrylic on Wood.
Copyright 2015 Mary Gravelle (Braylee Rush).

One of the two women painting plein air
at the 11th Annual Sedona Plein Air Festival.

Plein Air Festival Inspiration

I leave you with photos from the Sedona Plein Air Festival to inspire you to get outside and try painting en plein air. What are you waiting for? Pack up your art materials and get out there! Even if it's only your backyard, do it.

As you look at the photos, notice how the painters have set themselves up for painting outside. Notice their easels, packs, palettes, brushes, paper towels, umbrellas, seats, and more. Make a list of gear that would help you create outdoors. Make do with what you have right now. Add to your gear as your budget allows.

Guerilla Painter has all kinds of plein air gear to inspire you and help you make your painting experience a delight.

Let me know how it goes.

Betty Carr, one of two women painting at this year's
Sedona Plein Air Festival.

Jim Wodark in the front gave a free painting demonstration
this morning.

Could you paint with all this commotion going on?

Charlie Hunter from Vermont painted
outside of the Sedona Arts Center.
He had a unique style from the other painters
that I really loved.

Jim Wodark

Gamblin Paint winner of the plein air painting
session on Saturday.

Braylee Rush (Mary Gravelle)

Until Next Week

• Create art
• Appreciate art
• Buy art

The handsome, Sir Kitty. Meow.

Do you paint outside? Do you wish you could paint outside? Have you attended Plein Air Festivals? Please comment below and start the conversation.



About the author: Braylee Rush (Mary Gravelle) is an artist and writer who resides in Sedona, Arizona with her beloved assistant, Sir Kitty.