Adding a figure into a composition-while you are painting it en plein air-is always a challenge. I prefer to work from live models on the...

A friend recently asked me “if you didn’t have to sell your art, or teach art, would you still do it?” My answer is “Hail yeah! I’d still...

This blog along with the previous 4, and the next 22 are designed specifically for the Plein Air Adventure class to go along with the...

Painting Palms and trees with Shawn Dell Joyce Treat trees as value masses and start with your darkest darks and get them down first:...

This week's demo and topic in Plein Air Adventure was on using the tool of sighting to gauge a measurement, and basing every measurement...

How to mix greens and avoid the "salad bowl effect" by Shawn Dell Joyce When you paint landscapes, especially plein air, you use a lot of...

When you are just starting out, it can be daunting to paint a larger or more complicated painting. I've heart novice artists say that...

Every painting has an ugly stage. You know when you are about 30% into it and its not working out the way you want and your mind starts...

Perfectionism makes me silent when I need to speak up. Because I stumble over words, I often choose to be quiet instead of speaking my true

When I'm plein air painting, I have a different process than when I'm painting in the studio. In plein air, you have a short period of...

There's a whole new world that opens up when the sun sets. Night changes the values and colors of the landscape; everything becomes low-key,