Dear Reader,

A few years ago, I went to the Plein Air Convention for the first time—not as an instructor, but as a student.

And truthfully, that experience stayed with me more deeply than I expected.

It reminded me how important it is to slow down.
To be patient enough to really see what is in front of me.

There is something about painting outdoors that asks you to be present in a completely different way. The light shifts, the wind moves through everything, people pass by, and the scene never holds still for long. Instead of resisting that, I began to appreciate it. I began to let it teach me.

I also found myself deeply inspired by the artists around me. There is something so freeing about watching different painters stand before the very same landscape and each see something entirely their own. What they emphasize, what they soften, what they leave out—it opens something up in you.

And maybe that was the lesson that settled into me most:

Simplify.

Not every detail needs to be painted. In fact, sometimes the most honest and beautiful part of a painting is what you choose to leave unsaid.

Even though I am primarily a studio painter, that experience changed the way I think about my poured watercolors. Painting on location helped me understand light, atmosphere, and mood in a more instinctive way. I carry that back with me into the studio every time I paint, always hoping to capture not only what a place looks like, but what it feels like.

That freshness. That immediacy. That quiet glow of light.

So it feels especially meaningful to share this with you now:

This year, I will be teaching at the Plein Air Convention.

I will be sharing my poured watercolor technique and the way I work with gravity, water, and transparency to create luminous, layered paintings. On the surface, it may look like a carefully controlled process, but at its heart it is built on the same lessons plein air gave me: to loosen my grip a little, to trust what is happening, and to let the painting become what it wants to become.

If you are able to be there in person, I would truly love to see you.

And if traveling is not possible this year, there is still a lovely way to take part:

You can experience the Plein Air Convention from home.

They are offering a streaming version of the event, which means you can learn from an incredible group of artists right from your own studio.

And if you decide to join, you can use my code LAMBERT for $50 off.

You can find all the details here:
​https://pleinairconvention.com/streaming/​

Whether you paint outdoors or in the quiet of your studio, I believe there is something powerful in stepping back, simplifying, and remembering why you fell in love with painting in the first place.

For me, plein air brought me back to that feeling.

And it continues to shape my work, quietly and deeply.

Wishing you light, looseness, and good paint days,
Leslie