Painting and camping

Some of the most beautiful paintings are of nature and all it’s glory. What better time to pick up a brush and paint than when you’re in the middle of the great outdoors? The next camping trip you plan, include a small paint set and a sketchbook. The imagery you can capture when you’re face-to-face with nature is amazing.You’ll be able to smell the pine tree as you paint it, add in the colors of the evening sky or the petals of a wild flower. Unless you live in the middle of the wilderness, it’s difficult to come up with a still life more beautiful than that you’ll find while camping.

Maybe painting isn’t something on your to do list because you still need to learn how to paint. No worries, who’s watching? The squirrels and sparrows don’t care what your skill level is, they’re just glad you’re sitting quiet minding your own business. Camping is about enjoying – so enjoy some time with yourself and a paintbrush, you’ll be surprised what happens when you let yourself try.

Some tips for painting while camping:

• Make sure your supplies are easy to carry in a backpack . You don’t want to have to choose between your windbreaker and your set of oil paints.
• Bring a cloth or a few paper towels in case you need to wipe up any excess paint. You might also want to wrap your brushes individually with paper towel so excess paint doesn’t mix between wet brushes when they are packed.
• Pack paint brushes in a plastic bag but bring an extra bag so you don’t mix your dry brushes with wet.
• Never rinse paint brushes in streams or natural water sources. If you aren’t going to be near public water areas safe for rinsing oil paints, consider using watercolors instead.
• If you can’t bring your paints, a sketchbook to quickly draw what you see is a good alternative.

Camping isn’t just about breathing in the fresh air and enjoying the surroundings of nature. Although fishing and hiking are favorite activities for most campers (along with a good weenie roast or toasted marshmallow), painting is a great way to spend an afternoon with Mother Nature.