Daring to paint and sketch outside where people may see you!
I’ve actually discovered that people are largely intrigued and usually very supportive in their comments when they come across you attempting to capture the light in the landscape. It can be very mindful and relaxing to lie back and absorb the sunshine on Pendle Hill whilst sketching and listening to the bird song or slightly disturbing to find that while you have been painting the sparkle of the babbling brook an interested audience of young cows have crept up and formed a semicircle behind you!
Entering local en plein air painting competitions has been fun and the challenge of completing a painting within the allotted time frame has been a worthwhile challenge. Painting Padiham for the last few years has been a treat and the weather very favourable.
I’ve painted the scene behind Padiham Town Hall looking across the river Calder twice.
The Lodge at the National Trust property Gawthorpe Hall was a scene with wonderful reflections of trees and water lilies. The lesson for that day was how quickly acrylic paint dries up in the sunshine!
The Padiham Memorial Park was a peaceful place which provided lovely long shadows and the bonus of a good cup of coffee.
Back in 2022 Draw Clitheroe attracted a diverse selection of artists and their work was displayed in the shop windows of local businesses in the town providing a creative treasure hunt. I found a vantage point up on the castle hill and used pen and ink to capture the scene in front of me. Looking towards Pendle Hill over the top of Moor Lane.
In 2025 Clitheroe Arts Festival had an En Plein Air painting challenge on the Sunday and although the weather was challenging as was the four hour time slot, I enjoyed revisiting a favourite spot down by the River Ribble and its reflections.
It’s fascinating to see and read about how different artists interpret the landscape.
Read more about the history of ‘plein air’ at the Tate
The Art Story En Plein Air
Sue Marsden Art Studio 