Painting "En Plein Air" -- Kind of

This past week my family and I spent several days at beautiful Bear Lake -- a gorgeous lake with turquoise water that rests on the border between Idaho and Utah. We spent most of our days soaking in the sunshine at the beach. It was truly an idyllic vacation.

One thing that I have not done very often as an artist is paint outside from life. I usually take a long time to work on a painting and work to make it as close to perfect as I can. Painting from life means not having all that much time to perfect a piece. It's difficult to let go of expectations and paint for fun without feeling incompetent.

Whilst enjoying the beach, I took the opportunity to paint a few different pictures. They are not amazing. I feel a bit embarrassed, honestly. However, this is part of the process of being an artist. Good pieces, awkward pieces, messy pieces, and pieces that somehow turn out just right.