Studio or Outdoors?
If you are entering into colder or hotter seasons (or you are in one), should you still be heading outside to paint or should you be spending time inside the studio? My philosophy is that there is no seasonal way of painting. It really comes down to collecting knowledge and keeping your skills fresh. This could be in the middle of winter when you have been inside for months on end. Or, during the hot summer months when you may need to get up earlier and bring plenty of water. If you feel stuck or stagnant in the studio, it is a sign to grab your outdoor gear and head outside.
I guarantee if you stick with the outdoor painting for a few consecutive days, you will come back to the studio with more creative and physical energy. When we go outside, it really forces us to have our skills ready, to the best of our ability. There are a lot of changes with weather and sunlight that can positively challenge us outside the studio.
On another hand, when I am painting outside for a while, I feel I need to go back to the studio and work on larger pieces. Not for the sake of painting larger, but to paint more complex scenes where I need a little more design and time to think. Again, when I am in the studio, I know when I need to go outside. If you are feeling “stale,” then it’s time to go outside. It could be any season of the year. It is always a good rule of thumb to have a mixture of both studio and outside. Spend as much time as you need in both. There are no rules on this and you will definitely know when it is time to change it up.
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