There is something about paitning outdoors. All of the senses are alert and heightened with the fresh air the smells, and the sound of birds. At it’s best it’s wonderful or I could go on about the whine of the mosquitos buzzing in my ear as pending rain threatens and cold winds try to blow the painting all away. It is all part of the experience and why so many artists love it so much. I recently took a class of students out, some very new, and I was amazed at what they did. The work was immediate, direct and spontaneous. I felt that energetic flow between nature and artist. That seems hard to come by in this age of phone cameras and computers. So often now it seems as if all our experience comes filtered first through the lens of the camera, even those most sacred moments of birth, marriage and death. Being present with reality as opposed to the image of reality means being first and foremost present to the moment and present to ourselves. What a gift!