I have to admit that I am sad summer is ending. I loved painting outdoors this summer and traveling  to new places and being inspired by beautiful, new landscapes. I painted in the Midway plein air event and then at the end of July, I traveled to Driggs, Idaho for their plein air competition. I have only recently started to participate in plein air events.... I think Driggs was my third actual event and I have fallen in love with them. Although they are kind of nerve wracking because you don't know what you will see that you might want to paint, or how many frames you will need, or if you have all your supplies with you, there is something so engaging about doing it. You meet new people who love art as much as you do. You see awesome new places that you wouldn't see unless you are out searching for a great site, and you have to work to complete your paintings in a limited amount of time while you battle the elements, bugs, etc. My favorite thing about plein air painting is the light and how everything looks so much more alive when you are out in nature with a first hand view. A camera can capture beautiful images but it is just not the same as being out there looking at it in real life and trying to capture that feeling on a canvas or a piece of paper. If you haven't ever tried plein air painting, grab your supplies, water, sunscreen, bug spray and give it a go. I personally can't wait for next summer so I can do it all over again

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