Richard Suckling
The Coastguard Beer Garden, Unison pastels and pastel pencil on Sennelier La Carte Pastel Card, 91⁄2×121⁄2in (24×32cm). On a lovely warm afternoon I could not resist an old boat and the palm trees!
With the convenience of today’s technology available on our digital devices, it can seem odd that plein-air painting is arguably the best way for the landscape painter to grapple with light and nature. For many years I was content to work in the studio from pen drawings, quick sketches and photographs. Because my time at the easel was often too limited, I was convinced that skipping the outdoor experience was acceptable, as long as the paintings I was producing captured my experience and feelings for what I had seen.