I love you because of you who you are. I do think people should be themselves. Your voice as is James Gurney's is relaxing, soothing which helps you take a breath and say, "Okay, I can do this." Showing others that you don't have to sit at an easel to do art is great. When I was a young girl, I would walk through the woods by myself with pencils, pad of paper, and a blanket. I would sit and draw for hours. Sometimes, I would sit on our dock watching the river and wildlife. You bring back many memories with your journeys. Today, it would be called "plein air." Thank you for who you are!

Just 15 minutes a day, I think that’s great advice to start, and not to be disappointed for any effort.

Love your small sketches and telling us painting in the car. Thank you

I love sitting in the car listen to the sea with you on this plein airapril. I also always love the music you put with all your videos. Thank you once again for share.

So encouraging! It's good to remember that we don't have to do a whole painting!!

Sarah, I love your realism. I watched you and Lindsay talk about PleinAirpril and I was inspired to do it! It's been so cold here too. I felt I was off to a bad start but you and Lindsay are so supportive about avoiding unnecessary pressure - so I've missed some days, done one from the house, sat in an unheated greenhouse and painted seedlings. We had a snowstorm to contend with and I missed that day. Today we had an eclipse and we saw totality and it was amazing. I missed painting today but oh what a day! I'll keep at it. Thanks for all your great advice.

Hi Sarah! This is my first year participating in pleinairpril! Your tips and videos have been so helpful. Really enjoy following your journey! Thank you for all you share!

I love that you take us along on your Plein air painting!!! I am not much a traveler but travel thru your videos!!!!

Love the idea of color notes on your day 1 painting - going to give it a go this week!

That toned paper just looks so great with your gouache work on top!

Hello Sarah...I'm new to your channel....watched both your interviews with Lindsay the frugal crafter. Love your videos...they are so informative and useful. I also really appreciate your speaking about not always having things " together" for lack of a better term. I'm very new to gouache but will be watching ALL your videos!!😊

I admire your work so much! I am always impressed how many shadows and tones you can fit into that tiny little space. And you always get the right value. Loving that sea piece!

You inspired me. But, rain, sleet, thunderstorms and yup earthquake has me going inside. finally got outside today I am a newbie artist, so am looking forward to more! Paint during Solar eclipse tomorrow after work😂🎉😂...

I soooo appreciate this post with your struggles, because I was starting to feel that I failed at this challenge and my expectations did not match what I accomplished ( or didn’t accomplish). I have started to just do some smaller quick sketches or exercise indoors, because I can’t get it outside. This is teaching me some things, especially in how to handle gouache(which is a farly new medium for me).

Thank you for sharing Sarah! I really enjoyed seeing how you use your sketchbook to take notes and create a reference guide for yourself. I had never thought of that before! Lovely!

Oh, thank you for this video and especially for your introductory thoughts, experience and encouragement! Before I knew much about PleinAirpril, I put together a "go kit" thinking when weather was nice, I would go out and about (I'm in Montana). Then via your planning and Leslie Stroz video about the benefits of doing an art challenge, I thought ... Well, why not? Short story is that it was a week of adjusting expectations, supplies and an arbitrary set of rules I set for myself (why???). In hindsight, I am glad to be part of this. I can easily look at each of my little paintings and say: "these are awful", but I can also find at least a little bit of each one that I like, that is an improvement and/or small advancement of my skill. So, onward! I hope you get some sun and opportunity to hike and paint!

Love what you did, Sarah. Awful weather here on East coast of US too ... But I didn't go out in my car. Started yesterday but hope to stick with it. Thank you.

Super inspiring, Sarah. Thanks!!

Thank you for yet another inspiring video. I'm really looking forward for a video about your workshop.

Some great and inspiring ideas. Thanks!

it's lovely to see you taking part in pleinairpril again this year 🥰🥰

Sorry about the wet and cold weather there. It looks like it brightened up a bit at the end of the week though. I managed to get out and do some work, and even saw a bit of sunshine between showers. I love that the weather here is finally getting warm enough to do plein air work, as I'd been limbering up for it from February onwards, after a very dark and wet winter. I was pleased you wrote down the name of that flowering shrub; I've always admired it in other people's gardens, but never known the name. Fingers crossed for some nice weather for you next week!

I really enjoy watching all of your videos (especially the ones where you are painting). The scenery is lovely and it's nice to see the cats. I always look forward to new ones. Many thanks!

Love the color notes idea!

Love your reds the flowers are beautiful ❤

This is awesome! Following for more

I also “found” you through Lindsay’s podcasts with you and I’m SO incredibly glad. I love your work and your very thoughtful and kind way of instructing in your videos. Kudos to you for getting out (whether in the backyard or the car) and doing it everyday! I admire your talent, but also the honest way you present the challenges you face and how you work around them. It gives everyone else a chance to do the same in whatever way works for them. So much of what we see on YT is “perfect” and it simply discourages most people from even trying, your channel is the opposite, while your work is amazing and far beyond my capabilities, you encourage by showing that even professionals have their challenges. The idea of doing a color study or small studies of the rocks was wonderful, especially to someone who is brand new, like myself. I am enjoying your recaps so much and I thank you for doing them and look forward to the next one.

This is neither here nor there but.... I am just tickled to death that you were watching BG3 build videos while you were painting in the car, Sarah!

I so love to see your sketchbook :') My brain is constanty rushing without need to, but I believe in doing things orderly so anytime I watch one of your videos I just love to see how you take notes for everything! And without losing the fun/playful aspect that's needed for enjoyment, such an inspiration! And as always your color choices are magical and harmonious!

Awesome.

Merci!

Amazing contagious inspiring...thank you

Love your artwork

I look forward to your Plein Airpril series every year. Wishing you lots of beautiful weather for the rest of the challenge!

It’s been windy, cold, and rainy in central Illinois too. However today was warm and beautiful. I have done plain air about four days. My scenery is not as beautiful as yours however.

I love the step by step guide of the tree you made for yourself! That's such a great idea, I'm going to try it. Thanks for the inspiration, as always.

So helpful! I learn so much from hearing artists' struggles and how they work thru them! I'm loving the toned paper, and your rock studies were chef's kiss 💋

You always inspire me ❤

Very inspiring. Kudos to you for keeping up with it! I notice improvement in my painting when I do it every day. A challenge is a good inspiration for making it happen.

Yay I’ve been excited all week for your video. Beautiful paintings. I also love car art. Makes it easier to get out for me.

Our weather here in The Canadian Maritimes has been a cold , snowy , rainy April so far . I've not been able to get out to paint yet... so I will just tag along with you :) I love PleinAirprril . This video was so great . You are getting me so psyched for when our good weather comes here soon :) So lovely to see the flowers and leaves budding

Such inspirational ideas, Sarah. I love the idea of painting in the car, such a great idea, and am already head-planning a painting trip in mine.

I enjoy seeing your sketches. It was rainy and cold here for the first week of the challenge too. So I spent a oof time drawing by looking out the window. It’s definitely been a learning experience so far.

Hopefully second week will go better so glad you're doing this!

Your work is beautiful! Even though the weather is a nightmare you still do well. I get it about having time for art. Sometimes I am sitting down at 10 or 11 p.m. I am just getting totally selfish about my time now. I am 65 years old and retired. I don't feel right without that daily art fix. Lol Hang in tbere.

Finally 😊 found a great way to color up the rockS in the Lighthouse painting to make it pOp, or at least I'll try to "make it happen." Ann, Florida fan

Truly lovely to watch! Thanks for doing this challenge! So inspiring!

Love following along your PleinAirpril progress… even if it’s in the car 😊. I do enjoy painting in my car, although for me, it’s usually because I’m waiting for someone and not my destination/purpose (which still works but might not be as scenic). I’m in that group of people at a point in life who can’t find 5-10 minutes during daylight hours (unless it’s the weekend). Work, then getting dinner, getting ready for the next day, etc… sucks away the best time for being outside. However, by about 8pm I can sit on the sofa in the evening for a few minutes and pretend to be outside and paint 😅. Some day my days will belong more to me!

I love how genuine you are! You inspire me so much to use gouache. Does anyone know what sketchbook that is as it seems perfect? X

I don’t know why, but I am always soo amazed at how similar our weather is! I'm in Washington state and where I live its been the same - rain, we got really windy on April 2nd, then super cold (just above freezing) new snow on the mountains...some sun breaks but not warm ones. Lol. I just want it to be 74-78 degrees F...all the time....not too hot, not too cold...perfect for being outside all day and not overheat. Anyway....I made 10 minutes time on April 1st...I did my first plain air sketch of daffodils in my yard. Not gonna lie...its bad😂 but its something! And a memory that brings a bit of a chuckle when I look at it. I'm going to block out a few minutes today to attempt to do another. Thanks for your video. Always enjoy starting my Sundays with you! Toni

Absolutely Love this video. Thank you❤

Hi sarah brilliant advice as always really enjoyable love your style and approach can’t wait for more

OK.....gouache ❤❤❤

Very inspirational, thanks

You’re amazing ❤️🙏

Nicely done !

I am sort of in the same situation as you with the opposite weather… The heat and humidity of Brisbane, Australia started in October and we’ve been locked indoors in the air-conditioning since. It is now April 09 and it’s still too hot and humid to go sketching outdoors unless you get up at daylight maybe…We have a tiny 3 month window, if we are lucky, when it’s safe to be outdoors and I never have to check the weather (which is the first thing I do everyday in the heat and humidity). Like you, I am busting to be outdoors in nature and sketch my heart out. One question that I’d love you to answer, when I first started following you in the very beginning you were using watercolours a lot and now you mostly use gouache, why did you make the change to gouache? I look forward to your videos very much even though I paint exclusively in watercolours.

I love your realistic tips and encouragement on painting everyday! I have to ask - is that a Moya tag hanging in your car? I had a keychain Moya for my car (and named my car the same); I forever love Farscape! If not, then disregard my ramblings 😂

So I built a plein air box based on a channel to mount on my tripod. It’s not heavy but it’s cumbersome and feel it will work best in my home or in a setting where I have plenty of time. I keep coming back to videos like yours with a portable painter and a sketch book. Question: how do you apply your sketches into let’s say a bigger piece? I just stumbled onto to channel and just love it. I travel a bit for work and toting the box and tripod just isn’t feasible.

I wonder who and where in the world chose April for plein air. I mean in the whole of the uk and similar climates it’s rainy windy and still cold often and cold hands aren’t the best for holding brushes. And not all of us have cars to sit in. May would have been a a fairer month for it. Still, you’re doing well getting out and doing pleinairpril.

Super

I’m not doing pleinapril cause our weather’s even worse than yours 😢 but I am loving learning gouache with your Craftamo boxes ❤ And I love your recap❣️

I can’t think of plein air as being in the car. I would hate that.

Hi Sarah, does using pond water make your paint palette get mold faster? Also, What’s that blue pencil you use to sketch? I’m looking for something like that that doesn’t smudge when painted on.

Thanks for another great video. May I ask please, what is the blue pencil you are using to sketch?

Is that gouche in the portable painter pallet? And if so, how do you manage it / keep it wet and mold free?

What sketchbook do you recommend for watercolors? I’m looking for one that’s not too expensive (under $30 😊preferably)

😁

I can relate to having kitten brain 😂

Thanks for your videos!!! Can you help me? I'd like to do gouache paintings with my grandson (7 years old)...do you know some book that I can use as examples of gouache paintings? thanks!

Is that gouache that you are using?

Woop!

Hello Sarah...I'm new to your channel....watched both your interviews with Lindsay the frugal crafter. Love your videos...they are so informative and useful. I also really appreciate your speaking about not always having things " together" for lack of a better term. I'm very new to gouache but will be watching ALL your videos!!😊