March 22, 2023

Backcountry Watercolor with Claire Giordano

Environmental artist and writer Claire Giordano shares her favorite supplies and tips for your backpacking adventures!

By The Art Toolkit Team

Sketching supplies that include a paint-filled Folio Palette, pencil case, and paintbrushes lay on a rocky surface.

This is a recording from our live demo on March 22nd, 2023 with Claire Giordano, wherein she shares her tips and techniques for sketching on overnight backpacking trips.

Every spring, artist Claire Giordano starts daydreaming about sunny day hikes and painting the landscapes of Washington. She cleans her palettes and organizes gear in anticipation so that everything is ready to go when that first sunny day arrives.

A sketch of a mountain, purple lupine, and color swatches lay in the grass with a paint-filled Folio Palette.
Lupine and mountain sketches by Claire Giordano

Painting while on a backpacking trip is one of her favorite ways to interact with the landscape around her. However, compared to preparing for a day trip, overnight adventures in the backcountry require more planning and different supplies than one might use in the studio. With years of practice, Claire has found what makes plein air painting fun and doable for anyone out in the backcountry.

An artist with long hair and a headband holds a palette and mountain sketch overlooking a valley and mountains.
Claire sketches in the mountains

Learn more about Claire’s work as an educator and artist on her website.
An artist sites on a rock, dipping a paintbrush in a Pocket Palette.

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