On Sunday we managed to gather a lovely group for an afternoon of painting outdoors, right in the middle of the heather.

I had never been to Belarus before, and it won me over with its simple, warm charm. "Blue-eyed Belarus"—why blue-eyed? Because of the blue cornflowers, of course; they are like a second coat of arms here, appearing on every magnet and poster, sold by grandmothers in the metro underpass, and—naturally—blooming in the fields!

There are days when all you really need is a bicycle, a small box of paints, and a quiet forest path leading somewhere green and fragrant. Recently, I took my gouache paints and went on a plein air adventure into a lily-of-the-valley forest — one of those fleeting spring moments that already feels like a memory while you’re still inside it.

It was as cold on Saturday as it was hot on Sunday! On Saturday, we stayed close to each other, keeping warm with hot tea from a thermos, coffee, and soup from a local café—it was unbelievably freezing. But difficulties bring people together! I met some interesting people who were also selling handmade jewelry—very unique pieces. There were many interesting things at the market: they were selling gluten-free and sugar-free pastries, which were actually very tasty. There were also antiques on sale—even chainmail gloves and a helmet! Overall, it was a great experience. I didn’t sell anything, but I handed out business cards. At this kind of market, people usually don’t come to buy expensive items, but if they took a business card, that’s already a good sign! Everything can be ordered through the website and delivered right to your home.

Here in the Netherlands, nature is especially beautiful in spring. Just as you begin to enjoy the delicate snowdrops, crocuses, daffodils, and muscari start to appear. This wonderful procession of flowers continues until May, when the trees begin to blossom — a truly breathtaking sight.

The planned plein air session in pre-Christmas Amsterdam turned out to be very productive. At first, I wanted to paint the ice rink with its Christmas lights and festive atmosphere, but once we arrived, the scene turned out to be very chaotic, so we decided to postpone that idea until better times.

Bruges is a city that seems to ask to be painted. Especially at dusk, when the streetlights begin to glow, the water darkens, and the old houses reflect in the canals like in a mirror.

We had planned a proper painting session in Amsterdam, especially since the weather forecast promised to be wonderful. We try to alternate between nature plein air sessions and urban ones: in our small group we already have both lovers of open fields and those who prefer the city. So we take turns choosing locations to keep things fair and fun for everyone.

Hello everyone, we got back yesterday from our plein air trip! What can I say – it was great, but too short! The timing, though, was perfect: two days of wonderful weather (yesterday even a bit too wonderful – we nearly roasted 😅), and today it’s pouring rain.

Saterday -we're heading out to paint! Rainy weather in a cute town Muiden with its medieval castle and vintage boats. Lucky we are to catch rain only on the way back.

We held a group plein air session in a beautiful forest with centuries-old beech trees so large you can’t wrap your arms around them, and rhododendrons. It gave us a burst of inspiration for future creativity.