Plein Air: Nature’s Freebie

Under the shade of an oak tree, my eyes traveled past limbs teeming with leaves, resting upon a robin’s-egg blue sky. It was day one of spring where breezes grazed my face, a prelude to warmer temperatures.

This was a stolen moment in an otherwise scattered day. An emergency visit to see a hospitalized friend, a promise to meet a neighbor for tea, and a quick run to the supermarket to figure out dinner. I had paused from all the mind-churning activity to let time slow and cradle me. I sat, quiet and still. Just listening and resting, eyes wide open.

It was a free and much needed respite.

The call of a cardinal, the scent of gardenias, the verdant grass, and the whisper of distant memories. . . all completing the moment.

Without lifting a paint brush like a plein air artist, my senses were colored with sights and sounds. Cares were released, allowing in gentle, captivating joy.

This visual “canvas” brings me lines from classic nature poems:

• The splendor of the grass, of glory in the flower — W. Wordsworth

 

• A tree in summer that may wear a nest of robins in her hair. — Kilmer

 

• I wandered lonely as a cloud — W. Wordsworth

 

Gradually my fleeting peace slipped away. I had promises to keep. I made my way back to the car to rejoin the hub-bub of traffic, passing strip malls, gray office buildings, crowded parking lots, and construction sites.

 

It’s little wonder how plein air artists stay at peace. They unlock daily routines by immersing themselves into the natural environment. Painting cloud formations, the fold of a leaf. A splash of wild lavender, a streak of cobalt, and a splatter of red oxide herald nature’s bounty.

 

Plein air is without cost and accessible to all. It requires no giftwrap, yet it is truly a gift — waiting to be unwrapped from a bench overlooking the ocean, a river, or the view from your window.Take time to pause and appreciate plein air of all seasons.

 

It’s one of life’s most nourishing “freebies.”

 

Joan B. Reid

50plus Magazine

Joan B. Reid is the author of  Joyful Passage: A Woman’s Path to Retirement.