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Plein Air

Shirl Ireland

Shirl painting Yellowstone Lake
Shirl painting the Black Canyon
National Geographic filming Shirl plein air painting
Shirl painting along the Lamar River
Indian Creek plein air
Hayden Valley with bison plain air painting
Costa Rica plein air painting
Plein air painting in the Adironacks
Shirl painting in Lamar Valley
Painting along the Nez Perce
Shirl painting in the Adirondacks
Shirl's painting of Paradise Valley
Shirl painting Kersey Lake
Winter aspens in Little America
Shirl's painting of Undine Falls
Shirl painting the Lamar River
Painting on a private ranch
Shirl painting above Pebble Creek
Shirl painting geysers in winter
Near Slough Creek
Shirl painting Old Faithful
Shirl painting during her daughters horse riding lessons
Shirl painting Canon Beach
Shirl painting Old Faithful
Painting of Old Faithful
Shirl painting in the Beartooths
Shirl painting at a teen rock concert
Painting in a snow storm
Painting Castle Geyser erupting
Painting at Lower Falls Lookout
Shirl painting at the edge of Knox Lake MT

The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without the work. 

Oscar Wilde

I'm addicted to plein air painting, and have now been at it for decades. I’ve plein air painted out of my kayak hundreds of times. I’ve painted the Yellowstone sunrise every day of the summer for many years. I’ve plein air painted in the wilderness with a film crew all around me for a PBS documentary. I've plein air painted in my backyard for National Geographic. Miles into the backcountry of Yellowstone I've gone to paint – one time I forgot my brushes and used a stick. I’ve had elk pull over my easel. Painting far and wide - the ocean, Canada, Europe and Costa Rica. I’ve even plein air painted at 9 months pregnant at zero degrees in the snow, just to capture the wind, the snow, the sunshine, the weather… that moment never to be again - the essence. And I’m not done yet...

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