Exploring mindfulness through plein air painting is what I love.

‘Plein air’ – the French does have a way of making things sound beautiful – is to paint outside in nature with the changing light.

Mindfulness, is the process of actively noticing new things, relinquishing preconceived mindsets, and then acting on the new observations.  That is  what Ellen Langer concluded from her research into mindfulness from a Western way of thinking. “Mindfulness” might evoke the teachings of Buddhism, or meditative states, and indeed, the name and some of these concepts do overlap. But Langer’s version is strictly non meditative (“The people I know won’t sit still for five minutes, let alone 40,” she quips). Hers is a simple prescription to keep your mind open to possibility.  http://harvardmagazine.com/2010/09/the-mindfulness-chronicles

So, how does this relate to Plein air painting?  Usually we have unlimited time (within  reason) to do a painting and notice new things about the image, and change and correct it till we are satisfied. This is all still true of plein air painting except for the unlimited time. While studio painting gives your mind time to wonder and worry and get scared and run away, Plein air needs you to be present in that moment to make the stroke. To capture the moment.  To notice new things. You become lost in time and start to notice all the wonders. In the studio you might get stuck in mixing the perfect colour, now you get the freedom of making it happen as you notice it.

In anticipation of a workshop we go through so much, one part wants to run away and hide, one part wants to stay up all night and can’t wait and another part just imagine the bliss of doing it.

The runner thinks, what if it rains, what if this happens, what if I can’t do it, what if, what if, what if…You know the runner, they bolt at any sign of discomfort and not being able to control stuff. They love playing the ‘what if’ game and that’s the bit that keeps us stuck in our old, limiting ways.

So that is why I love to teach in Plein air. It keeps me in that moment of delight, of seeing, of becoming aware, of noticing. I guide the participants in what to look for in their choice of composition, what to consider, what route will work best. The same way I guide students in the studio where I teach. But being in nature, in feeling the wind playing in my hair and the hot sun or cold shade on my skin makes me feel the pulse of mother earth. The knowledge you have of materials and elements and principles of art all fades into the subconscious. As you become conscious of the beauty of the moment you consider that stroke and then the next stroke and then the next.

If you would like to be guided through such a process, join me at Golden gate this April. If you can’t make it, just take your sketchbook outside in the late afternoon and capture the beautiful autumn days. Share your creations and experiences with me in the comments. I would love to see!