When I enjoy the outdoors, I prefer a slower, meandering approach to discover the small details around me. I love a good hike or road trip where I can romanticize the journey with little rush to reach the destination. My artistic process mirrors this; I enjoy studying the most minor nuances in my subjects. I have always been able to focus intensely on paintings for long periods, and it has not been draining. I usually feel pretty great. I prefer my creative process to feel like a meaningful experience whenever possible.

Discovering plein air answered that need. I think of it as a practice of appreciation - a way of connecting with the subjects I admire One of my first attempts was drawing from life while on a raft trip on the Colorado River. I then acquired a set of pastels and tried my hand at them in Arches National Park. I quickly became hooked. I now feel most fulfilled when I can spend the day walking along a trail until I discover my “paint spot”—a place where I can settle in and intimately observe and record nature.

I’m still learning this challenging art form; not all attempts are equally successful, but I strive to capture the essence of a time and place in my work.

Julia Robinson