Like mother like daughter

I spent the last weekend near Sisters, Oregon with my 11 year old daughter Sara. It was a great time to be outdoors during this exquisite fall weather. We hiked along the Metolius River with our two labradoodles, Juno and Ruby. The first morning it was quite smokey due to prescribed burns in the nearby forest. This made for a very mystical and misty landscape. Soon enough the smoke dissipated and the air was clear, bright blue skies, golden yellows and oranges mingled among the sheltering pine trees. It was a magical place.

After our hike we had a little picnic lunch by the river and set up to paint. Sara has never painted the landscape with me plain air. I set her up with an easel and a palette, right next to mine. I loved how she was so agreeable to try and do a painting. But she got frustrated after awhile. But even so, I am proud she gave it a shot and did her best to finish.

Painting the landscape plein air can be overwhelming. Especially when the scene is so incredibly beautiful, its can be hard to do it justice. But just the act of painting in nature is gratifying and it doesn’t matter how it turns out. It is the process and the experience that is the most memorable.