I have a small works show coming up and  I do not work small, however I am so glad I decided to give it a go. Plein air is something that I have always enjoyed as a painter, but doing it on the spur of the moment is not always quick and easy with supplies to set up and take down. The sun was setting quickly this warm, early spring day, and I really wanted to capture the evening light from the shadowed creekbed at the edge of our property.  Quickly, I put on a few of my favorite oil colors that I thought would be perfect to use on my wooden palette. I did not want to take the time to set up an easel, so I decided it was time to try something new. I grabbed my linen canvas that I had already glued to foam-core, and I took one of my old paint brushes and attached it to the back like a lollipop. I held my paper towels, palette, several brushes and canvas lollipop, (put through the palette thumb hole) with one hand, and had my painting-hand free to do the work. I stood and painted quickly before the light was gone. Because there was no setup time when I got to the spot, I was able to begin to work immediately, and the take down was just a walk back to my maison. Excellent for quick studies of light and shadow late in the day when time is of the essence. I will surely use my lollipop method again for working small!

Heading to France to paint this summer, join us! adventure-artists.com