Do Plein Air Painters Always Paint in the Rain?

Do Plein Air Painters Always Paint in the Rain?

Do plein air painters paint even in the rain?I get that question a lot, it’s a good curious question.The answer is yes! Mostly. Some days, more dictated by other circumstances than the weather, I do stay and work in the studio.Goldenrod and Sunflowers in the StudioWindow15×15″oil on linen©Kelly Medfordclick here for purchase infoWhen I lived and studied in Florence I did take a year and study just still life painting at a private studio. Those were some of my favorite days spent in that city. Sounds unlikely for a plein air painter, but I learned so much in that time and formed some of my best friendships that one can only find when working closely together like that.Once I went out on my own and no longer share a studio, I now sometimes get nostalgic for those days, like on rainy days, and long for my still life studio buddies.This painting was inspired by a fellow expat writer Toni DeBella who brought me this wonderful autumn bouquet of flowers on a visit to the studio.So thrilled to have the gift of flowers, I immediately set them up the next day in the window and painted them with the light coming in from behind.The glow of oranges and yellows was mesmorizing and I had visions of Van Gogh for days.Still life painting is such a joy, especially since it gives you time to really study and not just to instantly “capture” like while painting outdoors. Still life allows for reflection and do overs, though this was left fresh and not worked on more than over 3 sessions.Just having the opportunity for some variety in color and composition is a gift, and one that did not go unnoticed.See other recent paintings here on my websiteThank you for your interest in my work