Spring is Here - Time to Take the Easel Outside

There’s something special that happens when spring finally arrives. The air feels softer, the light gets warmer, and the world slowly starts to bloom again. For me, this season always brings the same urge. to grab my brushes, pack up my paints, and head outside. After the quiet of winter, painting outdoors feels like breathing again.

Setting my easle to paint outdoors, in the old town of Spandau, Berlin

• Nature offers endless inspiration

I often wander into the forest near my home. The trees are just starting to turn green again, and the sunlight plays gently through the branches. There is a kind of peace there that helps me focus and really see. I love the texture of bark, the unexpected shadows, the soft movement of leaves. When I go to the lake, everything changes. The water reflects light in ways that are constantly shifting. It challenges me to paint more freely, to let go of control and respond to what I see in the moment.

• The city brings a different kind of energy

Some days I take my easel out into the streets of Berlin. It is loud and alive, full of contrast and movement. I am drawn to the corners where old buildings meet bold street art, where people walk by with stories written in their expressions. Painting in the city feels more unpredictable. I never quite know what I will capture, and that’s what keeps it exciting. Berlin has a rhythm of its own, and I like to be part of it with a brush in hand.

• The best part is the people

When I paint outside, people stop. They watch, they ask questions, they share how the painting makes them feel. These small interactions are what I treasure the most. It is not about praise or critique, but about connection. Something real passes between us. That feeling is hard to find online. Social media can be helpful, but it often feels too cold, too removed. When someone sees the work in person, in the moment, their reaction is honest and immediate. That kind of feedback stays with me.

• It’s good for my health

This practice isn’t just about art. it’s also about taking care of myself. Like many people in the modern world, I live with depression and anxiety. Painting outdoors helps me manage that. It gets me moving, gets me breathing, gets me out of my head. Being surrounded by nature or the steady movement of the city helps me reconnect with the present moment. It brings me calm and focus when my thoughts start to spiral. The act of painting becomes a kind of meditation, and the gentle interactions with strangers remind me that I’m not alone.

It is about more than creating an image. It is about showing up in the world with curiosity, with openness, with a willingness to be part of something bigger. Painting outside brings me closer to everything, to nature, to strangers, to the flow of the city. It fills me with a sense of purpose and joy that I cannot find anywhere else.

So if you see someone painting near the trees, beside the lake, or in a busy Berlin street, that might be me. I will be there with my canvas, welcoming the light, and always open to a conversation.

See you out there.

🎨Nir