The Freedom of Painting Outside

There’s something magical that happens when you bring your paints outdoors.

The way the breeze catches your hair.
The scent of warm earth and flowers.
The light shifting across your canvas as the sun moves.

It’s not just painting — it becomes an experience.
A moment where time slows down.
Where perfection doesn’t matter.
Where you can breathe again.

Painting under the palms

Not long ago, I stood in the garden of my place in Spain — warm sun on my skin, a quiet rustling of palm trees overhead. My paints were spread out on a table, and I had no plan, no agenda. Just curiosity.

I dipped my brush into the soft pinks and ochres that matched the blooming flowers nearby.
Birds chirped, the neighbor’s cat stretched in the sun, and I felt a kind of peace that no studio could ever give me.

It wasn’t about making a masterpiece.
It was about feeling alive.

You don’t need a palm tree to feel that way

Maybe you're in the city. Maybe it’s not warm yet where you live.
But that sense of freedom? You can still find it.

You can take your sketchbook to a nearby park, a balcony, even a quiet bench outside a café. Let the sky be your ceiling. Let the light be your guide.

You don’t need hours or perfect conditions. Just ten minutes of painting with fresh air in your lungs can do something beautiful for your body and your creativity.

Why it matters

When we paint outside, we leave behind the pressure of the “perfect setup.”
No perfect lighting. No spotless studio. No worrying about whether your colors match your curtains.

Just you. Your brush. The world around you.

It helps you loosen up. Let go.
And reconnect with why you wanted to paint in the first place.

So next time you feel stuck, heavy, or uninspired… try this:

• Step outside with just a few materials
• Don’t overthink it
• Let the breeze and the light be part of your painting

And if you ever find yourself under real palm trees, even better. But if not — the feeling is still within reach.

Let painting be your escape.
Let the outdoors remind you that you are part of something bigger — and that your creativity was never meant to be boxed in.

Until next Thursday,

🎨 Hege

PS if you want to join us painting here in September click here: https://www.artbyhegek.com/art-retreat