When you are painting out of doors while on vacation the conditions are never perfect. Sometimes there are no places to sit in front of your subject or if you brought a stool small enough to fit in your 22" suitcase, it might collapse or tilt. Also your paint colors may be limited since you have to use a smaller palette then usual. Never mind the weather conditions that can effect your painting. Everything considered, I love travel painting in my journal. I love plopping down in front of something beautiful, studying it and trying to paint my rendition of it. The feeling might be similar to how a jazz musician feels but that's only a guess since I am tone deaf.

My second favorite thing to do besides travel painting, is paint the final touches on my journal paintings after I return home in the comfort of my studio. I have a lot more control over the painting conditions at home then I do in the field. Also I have all the time I need to add the finishing touches and change them if I don't like them. This is what I am doing this morning.

Paintings from Monet's Garden that I am working on today.