Plein Air
on Bowen Island, B.C. August 2026
Sometimes working outdoors is close to flat surfaces like this deck and creature comforts like jam on toast and tea… pictured here is my Art Toolkit personally designed watercolor palette and soft field kit with my favorite plein air tools. I like to use a collapsable hiking cup for my painting water and bring a reusable rag.
Photo from a recent painting trip to Bowen Island, B.C. Canada
Other times working out of a backpack and hiking in to a location. In these cases, the options for a comfy perch are a good log or the Crazy Creek chair I decide to take along.
When I’m in nature, I typically will use water from the local source, like the lake water. But I always dispose of my paint water away from the water source or pack it out entirely in some cases. The Aqua Brushes are a great option when water is not available at the painting destination.
Killarney Lake, Bowen Island
It’s not always about the big painting when I’m looking at the big picture. When on location, multiple small paintings or “thumbnails” serve my eye and time best. I love to have several 10-15 minute sketches to get used to a lay out and not be overly precious about one piece of work. Later in the studio, I can then glean information from these studies for a larger final piece.
Cape Roger Curtis, Bowen Island
