Plein Air Paintings

Early April, 2024. I gave this piece away, so I don't remember the exact date. This was my first piece I did when I started doing plein air pieces. Not my best work, but it's the thought that counts.

April 16, 2024. This one was painted while I was squatting on a pile of rocks and probably bird poop.

April 22, 2024. Not too keen on how this one turned out, but it was so cold that I became more focused on finishing rather than it looking good.

May 7, 2024. The beach was swarming with flies while I was painting this one.

May 29, 2024. I really like how this one turned out.

August 16, 2024. I usually struggle with forests, so I'm proud of this one.

April 3, 2025. After a long break of not doing any paintings, I return with another view of the pier in early springtime. I really like this one! This is the exact same view and location as my first plein air piece a year ago.

June 4, 2025. It was very hot and windy out while painting this, so this one was a challenge. My brushes fell into the crevice between some of these rocks! One of my darling friends gifted me some thick boards to paint on for my birthday, so I can finally get back into the swing of painting. While, yes, I can paint on watercolor paper, I really prefer working on boards. These hydro towers were hard to paint.

June 7, 2025. I painted this one on a boat. Fun! I forgot to bring paper towels to soak up my paint water with and dry off my brushes with so my friend gave me a tampon to help paint this.

June 8, 2025. I typically avoid painting buildings whenever possible (and I must admit... sometimes I omit them entirely) but this time I was big and brave and depicted this little cabin.

July 9, 2025. This park and its ridiculous light tower thing ALWAYS seems to evade being painted nicely. I've never been able to do it! I aired my grievances right on the piece and then found later, when I realized that the sketchy style was actually kind of cute, that I could no longer erase my commentary on it.

July 9, 2025. After getting frustrated and going on a leisurely jaunt around the harbor and getting myself a tasty bagel, I returned to the beach to try another painting, and it turned out quite nice. There was no bench or rock to sit on with a nice view here, so I did this one standing with my palette precariously balanced on a fence post. It was fun!

July 9, 2025. I attempted to do a plein air of my plein air painting setup, but it didn't turn out. Instead I turned it into a mixed media piece and used one of my linocut stamps to make it cutesy!

July 10, 2025. Back to the lake we go! I forgot my pencil this time so this was done without a sketch, and I feel quite proud of that.

July 10, 2025. There was a fence by the grass, but I couldn't be bothered to paint it so I simply erased it from existence. Reality can be whatever I want.

July 12, 2025. I was at an outdoor market today, so I painted the view from my table during downtime. I quite like how this turned out! For someone who avoids painting buildings I think I did an ok job. I traded this one away to another vendor who wanted it as a keepsake for their first in-person market. I love trading with people!

July 18, 2025. This one is the first out of a series of 8, which I produced in the same walk from the far end of my city to about halfway through the next one. Why? These are the sorts of things one gets up to when one is unemployed. Here we start with the elusive light tower thing, which I actually kind of like how it turned out this time. However, I got an unfortunate smudge on the sky this time. The whole day of rubbing against the other paintings didn't leave this one unscathed. Couldn't it have been literally anywhere else? On the water or rocks or something? Sigh.

July 18, 2025. My goal for my painting trip was to walk along the lake and stop at each park to make a painting and take a break. I don't quite like this one, but hey, we can't make bangers all the time.

July 18, 2025. Okay, here's a painting I actually like! I was worrying at this point that I'd just keep making subpar paintings during my entire trip because I'd be so tired from walking. However, this time, I did a really good one! The bathroom at this park is one of the most silent places I've ever been in. I could hear my own blood in there.

July 18, 2025. This one's okay? It was a fun challenge painting the willows. This is actually painted from underneath the same willow I painted earlier in this page, so that was fun.

July 18, 2025. Another hit, I think! I don't paint boats because they confuse me but this time I had no choice. I think it turned out splendidly!

July 18, 2025. Okay, here's when I started burning out again. It's a tree? I guess?

July 18, 2025. At this point I was worrying that I'd take so long on this painting trip that I'd miss grabbing dinner. This one's alright too, though I could've added some more darkness to it.

July 18, 2025. And finally, I'd made it to my destination! I put more effort into this one because it was the last one I was planning on making during my trip. 10 hours, 23 km and 8 paintings later, I'd finished my fun painting trip! I then took myself out for dinner as a reward.

September 9, 2025. I just started university. I was feeling in a paint-y sort of mood, so I took a crack at one of the buildings.

November 10, 2025. I've been so busy the past few months, and I've been meaning to go to the beach all this time but just haven't been able to! Anyways, here's my first proper beach painting in BC and I'm quite pleased with it. It was crazy windy at the beach and there's a diabolical staircase to and from the place that I nearly fell over from climbing (and also nearly got knocked over by an offleash dog on the way down). I'd like to come back here more and make more paintings! It's very picturesque.

December 17, 2025. Managed to snag some lovely weather in the middle of my finals week... I'm really enjoying this place! It's the exact same beach as the previous painting. I'll probably come back for more!

February 14, 2026. First plein air of the year, and yes it's at wreck beach again, and of the exact same cliff too, but whatever. The weather was nice and this is the most scenic place I can easily access without needing to get a bus. I quite like this one! But I do need to explore some more.

February 24, 2026. Yes, it's the same beach again. My hands got very cold while painting this one and I ran out of yellow as well, but I think it's cute! I tried out using purple for shadows here.

March 14, 2026. I finally painted something other than wreck beach! I went on a hike with my friends and once we finished I stayed behind to paint this one. I'm really fond of it.

March 25, 2026. I went on an excursion to get some supplies and stopped by a beach afterwards to paint.

April 4, 2026. I did these next few on my reading break, I treated myself to going out almost every day, weather permitting. This one turned out a little darker than necessary but it's still cute. My favorite tree on this cliff fell down. :(

April 5, 2026. This one was fun! I was perched on a rock doing this one and my now-partner went in for a swim while I painted, but then the tide came in and got all of their stuff soaked. Oops.

April 6, 2026. I made this one out of spite after some of my friends commented on being unable to discern between the water and shore of my previous painting. "Heh... I'll show you guys... I can paint sand..." I actually really like this one.

April 27, 2026. After being freed from my exams, I decided to stay an extra week in Vancouver. This is the same beach I've always been painting, except from the other side. I ran into a group of geology field students at the base of this cliff. I'm looking forward to doing fieldwork during my degree. I'm also proud of how the boulders turned out here.

April 29, 2026. My friends and I went on an excursion to this lovely little island that you can sometimes walk to and sometimes not. The tide was low so we were able to climb it, and then after we settled down at another rocky cliff face to paint it. I also saw oystercatchers here. I've always wanted to see an oystercatcher!

May 1, 2026. I generally avoid golden hour paintings because the light keeps changing but this one's cute, I think!

May 2, 2026. The bridge was a challenge but I rose to the occasion! I was sitting on a rock below the seawall for this, and the tide started coming in really violently. I finished just before it got totally soaked!

May 4, 2026. One last beach painting before I go back home. It was hot and hazy and I was tired and getting sunburnt so it's not my finest work, but I wanted to squeeze one more in.