Plein Air Painting is what I like to call Art Therapy.  To get the most enjoyment I recommend that you start out close to home, like your back yard or deck.  Very convenient, especially if you like to paint and sip.

You will also need an Easel.  I use the portable French Easel by Julian.  It’s great because it comes with a slide-out draw so you could work in small spaces.

A canvas, a couple of brushes, a water container, paper towels, a palette or paper plates, and of course paint.

I recommend starting with three colors.  You could make an endless array of colors from Magenta, Phthalo Blue, Chrome Yellow, and of course, White, and Black.

Inspiration.  I like to start with something beautiful, like flowers in a simple vessel.  Keep in mind your surface and background.  Remember you are the artist so you can take Artistic License.  I like to layout my background first.  Once it is dried, you may want to sketch out your subject with chalk. That will give you a framework to follow which could be easily tweaked and erased with a damp paper towel.

The most important thing to remember is to paint for enjoyment.  Tune out the world for one to two hours.  Sip and Paint, relax, and enjoy the process. This is your time.