Painting in Nature

Edge of the Day, Irene Rajagopal, 5 x 7 in, oil on linen panel, 2024

I am an avid plein air painter in oil and watercolor. When painting in nature, I feel deeply connected to the world—the wind, the trees, the sky, the passersby, their dogs, the birds, and the insects. This is an experience no amount of money can buy.

Driven by that sense of connection, in June and August I taught a two-session plein air watercolor workshop for the Mercer Island Open Art Studio, our free monthly public art program. I also had the pleasure of participating as a plein air artist in Arts in Island 2026.

Beyond teaching and community events, one of my plein air oil paintings—captured along the misty shores of Discovery Park—recently found a home. The collector thanked me for creating such a beautiful piece, a reminder of why I love capturing these fleeting, atmospheric moments in nature.