I am trying out different ways to paint plein air in my back yard, which is nothing of any beauty being just dirt and podocarpus trees (also called plum pines). It is going to cost an arm and a leg and a first born child to get it done the way I want, but such is life. In the meantime, use it to my advantage – like lots of container plants!
Anyway, I set up a plein air easel on a tripod I just bought for $20.00 and it did a good job. I clipped my large sketch book to the easel and put a lightweight travel watercolor palette on it. I sat on my travel stool. These details are for a future post.
I painted one podocarpus tree with outlines and more traditional ways of applying color in layers; that is the one on the left. The one on the right is direct watercolor. In the middle is a stump in direct watercolor and a few sketchy little camphor tree shoots from the root system still in the dirt.
I painted both trees to practice both ways of painting as well as to check out the plein air set up. With the tripod low to the ground, I could put water and such on the ground next to me. The plein air palette and sketchbook were propped up on the easel attached to the camera tripod. I sat on my stool. Everything was fairly comfortable, within reach and easy to get. The height was good. I think I might not want to sit down for a long time while painting, but it is something I want to experience.
So, though the painting subject is podocarpus trees, the real focus for painting was the plein air set up. It worked pretty good. I have another easel to use, and I think I am beginning to get a nice set up for my future career as an old lady painter in the countryside or patio, depending . . . .
Ink, Yarn & Beer 
Have fun while discovering your style.
The trees turned out well!
Love the colors you mixed and the layers in both trees.
being an old lady painter has always appealed to me too…
Do you have much wind in your backyard? If so, how do you mitigate it for plein aire?
Laura Kate, that is a good question. The wind here varies, with seasonal strong winds, the east winds known as Santa Anas, that can get really bad, often leading to fires when the weather is hot. There is no reason to go out to paint on a hot and windy day as far as I am concerned.
As far being able to mitigate wind for plein aire subjects, I look at the light and dark areas for shapes as well as the shapes of the leaves. For instance, the podocarpus leaves are like fat, flat pine needles and from the branch spread out in clumps with fingerlings.
For my painting, I have some control in that my paper is clamped down or taped if on a board; my supplies are in containers which don’t tend to blow around or move. My tripod has a hook on the bottom which can be used to hold weights to keep it from flying away. If it is nice but too windy for a tripod, a tablet in the lap is fine. No umbrellas for me – too much stuff to carry. I really do not like lugging stuff or chasing stuff. Paper towels I keep in pockets and take out as necessary.
Currently I am doing plein aire in my back yard so I have more control. The few times I have gone outside the back yard, I keep things to a minimum with security in mind. It’s really the midges and flies that bother me more than anything! When you move, they don’t tend to go for you, but when you sit, they are the most happy of critters!
I am still working on refining points and the pieces to use in plein aire watercolor, and hope to get something together over the next few weeks with trial and error. My goal is to travel light with a minimum of effort, and that means paring down supplies, from number of brushes and colors to size of paper, and other supplies.
Hope this helps. What do you do?
Jaye Marie and Anita Dawes – that’s the only way it can go these days! And at some point I will be an older lady painter, then elderly, then antique . . .
Thanks, Fraggy!
Thanks, Anne. Style – what is that? Always an interesting thought. For me, it is more how I want something to appear, if that makes sense, so style can vary.
That makes total sense to me -N. Not being an artist, I don’t know how to conger up an image of how I’d like something to appear. But, as a photographer, I can see the opportunity of something beautiful or that I can work with. That’s why I don’t do much editing to my photos. And that’s why I appreciate your artistic abilities.
Awwww, Anne. That is so nice of you to say!
The only way is old, apparently…
I’ve only tried it a few times. Also, I’m such a beginner when it comes to watercolor painting, I have a hard time being away from all my stuff. One big problem for me is that outdoors the paper and paints dry out so fast due to heat and wind. Thank you for such a thorough response.
Laura Kate, you are welcome. You might consider drawing your lines on the watercolor paper – 100% cotton – and then wetting it on both sides before painting. If it begins to dry, spray the underside of the paper and replace it onto a waterproof surface (which you will be painting on anyway). Don’t tape your paper down. Once you wet it initially, smooth it out with a rolled up cloth towel from the center out to blot it up a bit. It will make your paper stay wet longer. Also, spray your colors, too. Try it and just play. Really fun, indoors and out!
Thanks for advice.