Painting en plein air has become a very popular activity over the last 20 or so years, with more and more individuals and whole groups, some of them very large indeed, devoted to this kind of art. You can take various approaches to outdoor work, ranging from quick sketchbook notes to concentrating on one carefully considered piece done in a whole day. But the prevailing ethos these days tends towards what I sometimes call the smash-and-grab approach: to descend en masse upon a particular set location for a single day, where everyone paints like crazy to produce possibly several paintings each, then on to the next location, maybe never to return to the first place. The sense of urgency this creates can be stimulating, not to mention the spirit of competition, and you can get great work out of it. But there is another much calmer and just as enjoyable a way of working outdoors, which is simply always to carry a sketchbook and to get to know your own locality inside-out, in all seasons and at all times of day: always to patrol your home patch. This way you are ready for opportunities of light and atmosphere, and the chance to see the familiar in unexpected ways.
Victoria & Albert Museum, December Dusk, watercolour on Fabriano sketchbook pages, 1236in (30.5315cm).