I went on the honors Channel Islands Pre-O this past summer because I thought it might be a good way to go out of my comfort zone (and it was arguably the best decision I've made in my life). I didn't think I could really integrate my art into my college experiences, especially OA trips, because the media I preferred was expensive, not portable,
and time-consuming. It wasn't until I started experimented with plein air painting,
or painting outdoors using natural light, that I realized that painting with OA could be feasible. For me, watercolors were the least expensive and most portable media, so I decided to carry around a handheld watercolor palette and a small sketchbook to
capture moments on trips. My favorite part of plein air painting is learning how to
move quickly: I try to spend less than 15 minutes sketching and painting a single
page so I can carry on with the trip and be more present. Using watercolors has
also helped me improve my confidence as an artist because it's a very
free-flowing type of paint and will do whatever it wants... so learning how to
accept the water as a media and accept the mistakes that you or it makes is
essential. One obstacle I encountered was that because I was so used to
painting still lifes or pictures, I found it difficult to paint moving objects in
nature, so by painting more dynamic and moving scenery, I've learned to
paint more quickly and to be more confident in each stroke that I make.
This appreciation for dynamic scenery that I found helped me
appreciate, on a larger scale, the nature as a constantly changing
microcosm. In the past, my art usually focused on social justice
issues and had more conspicuous messages, but since the change
in my art style, I have embraced the idea that not every single
piece needs to have a message; rather, it can be a reflection of
my current feelings and surroundings and still have impact.