Have you ever forgotten…

Standing in front of the easel while looking at the soothing colors of the countryside forty minutes outside of town. Morning light plays on the mist and highlights the trees. An idea for the composition comes together while squeezing out the cadmium yellow, cerulean blue and carmine onto the palette. Where are the brushes? They are not in the backpack…

This might not seem related but bear with me. I’ve believed for many years that dust bunnies are  misunderstood. I believe they should be allowed to prosper. But my daughter encouraged me to get organized this summer. Before long I was buying baskets and organizing closets. Things can be found now in neat and tidy areas and it feels like a different house. There is much more room. It wasn’t long before this influence crept into my studio past the unsuspecting dust bunnies.

With organization and order on my mind, it occurred to me that I should put together a complete Plein Air Checklist. If I had a list with every imaginable item that I could use for painting, I would be able to quickly pack up for a painting adventure. I would be assured to never forget a brush or a pigment again.

I worked on the list for several weeks and researched what other artists used for their plein air trips. There are 115 items on my checklist so I don’t forget anything no matter what kind of location or weather condition.

Then I realized that my whole studio would benefit from this kind of organization. I made more lists. I printed them off and put them in a binder. Now I can keep track of supplies, make plans, stay on top of calendar items, track paintings and brainstorm new and exciting goals. It has been fun and I feel more organized and able to plan more efficiently.

Time saved means more time for painting. That is the main goal.

I’ve made these lists into printable pdfs and have them available for a modest price so you can have the electronic files and print as many as you want.

It has changed my habits and it can change yours too.

Try them out!