En plein air painting has always seemed like a challenge. It’s a bit of hassle: hauling the paints and supplies out to the spot, usually in nature so a good walk away, it can be hot and frustrating and all kinds of emotions. It’s more complicated than using a photograph.

However, the more and more I practice painting from nature, the more value I see in expressing exactly what I’m seeing in paint form, and the more I find it enjoyable to go through all the logistics to get that painting with the feeling of nature inside it.

I painted this tree scene at Le Terrain des Peintures where Cézanne used to paint his scenes of Sainte Victoire, the mountain that watches over Aix-en-Provence.

FRENCH TREES, Oil Paint on Canvas Board, 8 x 8 inches, © 2020 Avery Ches, Original: $150, Framed for $185, Prints at $18^ —