This post is about a little practice I’ve been doing a lot of lately.  It’s like plein air (on location) painting except it’s done in the studio.  

Sometimes after I’ve been doing a lot of ‘official’ painting I want to paint but I just want to have some fun. So I search all my photos for one that speaks to me and without any preliminary work – no thumbnails, no practice, no pondering I just quickly sketch the subject and jump right in.  I always work small sitting in front of the computer not at my painting table.  

I set a time limit of 60 – 90 minutes and work out everything on the fly.  There are always surprises that happen.  Each painting seems to include subjects or effects that I’ve never tried before and I don’t have time to think and plan I just do, in one sitting.  They aren’t always great paintings but they are always fun and I find that I learn quite a bit each time.  It’s always a surprise when I finish them and put them on the wall.  Usually I’m quite pleased.  The goal would be that some of them might end up as ‘serious’ paintings.

Here are 4 recent examples.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This one did work out really well and I’m very happy with it.  I plan to use this as a teaching painting in my next workshop in Winnipeg for Leading Edge Workshops.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This image from my favourite location, Kensington Market is a painting that I’ve wanted to do for over a year just because of the bright yellow and red cab.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A practice for a large painting I’m doing for an up coming show.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A scene from a very neat, eclectic town on the old TransCanada Highway in BC called Yale.

This little painting practice is just a fun activity that keeps me thinking painting but is relaxing and spontaneous and also does yield a number of benefits.  Very much like plein air painting but done in the comfort of the studio.  Something you might want to consider.