En Plein Air with Sue Tyler

I had a very special opportunity to paint outside with a local Wyoming/Idaho artist named Sue Tyler. She has been plein air painting, teaching art, and ski bumming longer than I’ve been alive. Needless to say I was hanging on her every word.

A couple weeks ago in the Idaho backcountry, I serendipitously, and quite literally, ran right into Sue Tyler while chasing Maverick over a hill. She was out drawing with a friend and we got to chatting about painting in the wild. She showed me her sketches, we talked about how hard it is to paint springtime greens, and then she invited me to join her for a plein air session -- I think she only half believed I would actually reach out. But as a green artist like myself, that’s the kind of opportunity you don’t pass up.

I've never truly painted plein air (which is working fully outside, painting what you see from start to finish, while the light changes around you) I typically paint from a compilation of photos, in the studio -- a constant, controlled setting. Sue, on the other hand paints plein air for over half the year, she is incredibly experienced, and in my opinion quite a master of the craft. Plein air presents a whole new set of challenges, time constraints, proper set-up, planning your composition, focus -- Needless to say I was nervous, but do one thing a day that scares you right?! 

As the story goes, I fumbled around and pushed paint into a blob on my panel (like a canvas) while Sue morphed her panel from "I know I won't like this, it'll probably be a dump" to "hm maybe this could becoming something" to "Oh wow, yeah, I quite like this". And YEAH it turned into something, I was in awe. From tones to crazy colors to creating depth and detail, I was amazed at her process. 

While Sue was creating a literal work of art, she was simultaneously throwing me little tid-bits of advice. Suggestions for materials and tools, comments on depth and colors, thoughts on life as an artist and her journey from careful painting to not caring at all what people think of her art. Her words of encouragement were snowballing out of her self-aware, unapologetic, and seemingly satisfied-with-life persona. I should have been taking notes instead of painting. 

Sue doesn't know the impression that those couple hours have made. I think I've fallen in love with this form of painting. I'm terrible at it and have a lot to learn... But it actually embodies everything I’ve been searching for in the craft -- being outside, focusing on something specific, capturing fleeting moments, early mornings, late evenings, light. It felt right, and it was incredibly fun. When things feel right you have to pay attention right? I'll be doing more of this painting outside thing. I think it will naturally push boundaries that I have a hard time pushing in the studio. 

So thank you Sue Tyler, for being so inviting and open. Thank you for sharing your incredible Idaho backcountry with me, and taking the time to inspire a green little artist like myself. I look up to your commitment to the craft and your willingness to pass along your knowledge. That’s gotta be what it's all about. Oh, and having fun -- your main point of advice, “What the hell is the point if you aren't having fun”.