Life's a Stitch

The term for outside painting may be in French, but I did these little paintings on our recent Canadian camping trip.

I’ve never particularly enjoyed watercolours outside: the wind, lack of space to spread out supplies and the hazards produced by birds flying over. This happened in France:

These were painted for Opus Art’s Plein Aire Challenge. I needed motivation to try again and was lucky to both avoid pooping birds and win a prize in their participant’s draw.

Top: painting from our picnic table at Lake Pinantan, BC

Bottom: same tree from two sides, Nicola Lake, BC