I haven’t painted en plein air for a while, but yesterday’s outing with my Mum reminded me why I love it. It brought me back to this simple truth: it’s the doing that matters.
Some days, painting outside feels like a bit of a miracle. Not because the outcome is perfect (spoiler: it rarely is), but because you showed up. You wrangled your gear, you got outside, and you painted. Full stop. 💪
It was a lovely afternoon. Nothing dramatic, just the kind of day that makes you breathe a bit deeper and smile for no particular reason. Since I’d been away from plein air painting, truth be told, I was feeling a bit rusty. And because of that, the resistance to actually going outside and painting was in good form. But there was something about having a painting buddy —especially someone like my Mum—that gave me the nudge to just get out there, regardless of how unprepared I felt.
Painting One: The Bins (Yes, Really)
We picked a shady spot (few and far between) and got set up. The view in front of me? Two bins tucked against a hedge with a slash of sunlight cutting across. Not your classic “paint me!” subject but I found something compelling about it. It was about the light, the shapes, my fascination with these oh so ordinary and unseen (except when needed) objects.
As usual, I did a thumbnail to map things out and familiarise myself with what I wanted to paint. Then dove in.
It felt good to just… begin. No overthinking. Just picking underlayer colours and building the piece from there, letting the scene reveal itself. And being okay with the result. Was it a masterpiece? Absolutely not. Did I enjoy the process? Immensely.
Painting Two: The Bonus Round
I finished the first piece (resist fiddle-faddling!) and looked over—Mum was still deep in concentration, layering her watercolours. I could have packed up, scrolled my phone, taken a walk, or just stared into space, but instead, I thought: why not try another?
I made time for a quick thumbnail—nothing special, but it helped me get clear on what I wanted to include and what I wanted to say.
There’s something freeing about this kind of “bonus” painting. I wasn’t expecting to make another. I had no pressure on myself. And in that looseness, something lovely happened. I played more. Observed more. Trusted more.
It reminded me—yet again—that the painting is never a waste, even if it’s not a keeper. The real magic is in the doing.
The Real Takeaway
This day was such a clear reminder of something I often tell others:
It’s not about the outcome —it’s the doing that matters.
It’s the act of standing in front of a subject, tuning in to the light, seeing and deciding on the value relationships, observing the colours, and getting absorbed in that quiet (or sometimes not-so-quiet) flow.
Even better? Doing it alongside someone you love. Watching Mum paint, the quiet companionable focus —it all added up to something much more meaningful than just two finished paintings.
So I’ll Leave You With This…
Next time you’re unsure whether it’s “worth it” to paint because you’re tired, uninspired, or worried it won’t turn out—try shifting your focus. Let go of the end result and just show up.
Just. Show. Up.
Because it’s the showing up that makes the difference.
The doing that teaches you something.
The experience that fills you up in more ways than you might imagine.
Have you had a “just show up” moment lately? Have you found that really, it’s the doing that matters? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.
Until next time,
~ Gail
PS. I forgot to mention…there’s a wee twist in the tale!
I decided to swap my trusty set of Unison Colour pastels for a set of 30 Schmincke pastels. Talk about stepping out of my comfort zone! It was a challenge, for sure, as I wasn’t used to the colour selection (I’ve been using my set constantly now for close to four years!) and there were definitely colours (and values!!) missing, but it was also an adventure. Sometimes, it’s those little disruptions that spark the most creativity. I had to adapt, find new ways to express myself, and guess what? It was liberating!
6 thoughts on “It’s the Doing That Matters – Plein Air Painting With Mum”
Truly inspiring.
Thank you Michele. I sure appreciate that!
I do like your work. Example one turned out so well but I would have cropped it differently. I would have taken about the top left quarter of the shot, letting the signs on the right side balance the cans and whatever the vertical thing is in the water. Perhaps this would make a more conventional/ less interesting take.
Thanks Kyle…for your appreciation and your own possible crop!
It’s always the pressure of moving forward when you are working on location, racing against time. In the studio, it would be fun to play around with different possibilities. For me, I thought, Can I get away with doing an almost symmetrical piece without it being boring. I loved that each bin had slightly different colouring than the other and I played with that to make the interest in the balanced composition.
Oh how I related to this topic of just showing up. BUT you are absolutely correct about that. That’s where we learn and thrive creatively. Its so easy to get bummed out and just throw up our hands sometimes. But it’s in the process of creativity that the real prize lies. I need to remind myself more often than I’d like to admit. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Thanks for sharing your own struggle MaryAnn. And yes, paint, draw, DO no matter the outcome. Discoveries and wonders happen along the way!