Your biggest challenge(s) when painting en plein air
What are yours?
When I was living and painting on California's Central Coast, my biggest challenge was the wind off the Pacific Ocean. 🤣 I had to weight down my easel so it didn't go anywhere (I can't tell you how many times I'd turn my back for an instant and it would go flying. And then, because it's always so sunny, and the sun was often behind me, I had to use umbrellas. And figuring out which umbrella to use and how to weight it was another challenge. I ended up using Guerrilla Painter's Shade Buddy and attaching it to containers I filled up with sand (and dumped out) whenever I was painting along the water.
In North Carolina's mountains, it was dealing with the rain, insects, and snakes. Bug spray, my Shade Buddy, and tall boots became my best friends.
In Florida - I couldn't handle the heat and humidity most of the year, so I only went out in the winter when it was a bit cooler and less humid. This meant getting up super early, which, BTW was when the alligators were out. So, no hanging out by marshes! Again, bug spray, umbrella, and tall boots if I was in the interior. If by the shore, my umbrella and lots of water to stay hydrated.
In DC/Virginia - I'd go painting in the winter with a group of folks. I was painting with pastels, they were struggling with watercolor until they passed around a bottle of vodka to use instead of water to charge their pigments! 🤣 Then it was finding and wearing a pair of fingerless gloves that had mitten covers. Those were precious to me. Still have them ....
I'd love to hear from the rest of you!