
What does it mean to paint with your own artistic voice? For many of us, that question remains even after years of making art. We learn technique, we study the masters. But deep down, we want to know what makes our work uniquely ours.
Voice vs. style
Your artistic voice is different from your style. Your voice is your personal, authentic point of view—what you want to say through your work. It reflects your values, interests, emotional tone, and subject matter choices. Your voice comes from who you are, not what you do.
Your style, on the other hand, is the visual language you use to express your voice. Style includes recognizable elements like brushwork, color palette, composition, and technique.
While style is what viewers notice first, it’s not fixed; it evolves and changes. Your artistic voice is much more important. It’s what you’re saying and why.

Teasing out your artistic voice
That’s the heart of Find Your Authentic Voice in Plein Air, a five-day immersive plein air painting workshop the second week of August. It will be held in the pastoral beauty of the western Massachusetts Berkshires, a place I really love.
Finding a style is illusory; it’s a moving target and nothing you should concentrate on. This plein air painting workshop invites you to leave behind mimicry and perfectionism. Instead, step confidently into your own creative point of view. I’ve designed it not just to improve your technique, but to reconnect you with the why of painting—to discover what moves you, and to translate that honestly onto the canvas.
The Berkshires provide a perfect setting for this kind of deep creative work. Rolling hills, shaded glens, historic farms, orchards and vibrant meadows offer subjects that are varied but never overwhelming. We’ll work outdoors each day, with each different location designed to capture different moods and light.
The Berkshires are calm and contemplative, although they have their dramatic moments. But I assure you that no two days are the same, and no two paintings will come out alike.
We’ll start with quick value studies, gesture sketches and color notes. From there, we’ll move into longer painting sessions. While these are to some degree self-directed, I’ll be making rounds, offering personalized feedback and encouragement.
Topics range, but we’re always addressing the core question: What are you really trying to say with this painting? Of course, I don’t really want you to answer that with words, but with visual imagery.
If a subject speaks to you, paint it. If a painting starts to veer in an unexpected direction, follow it. This plein air painting workshop encourages risk, revision, and rethinking, all in the service of finding something true.

By the fourth day of every workshop, common patterns begin to emerge. You might notice you’re interested in the patterns of dark and light, or you may love quiet compositions. These patterns are signposts pointing toward your authentic voice.
I’ve been teaching plein air painting workshops for a long time, and I’ve noticed that by the end of the week, students are painting better and more confidently. They know what elements call to them, and they have the tools to answer that call with clarity and presence.
Find Your Authentic Voice in Plein Air is more than a plein air painting workshop; it’s a creative reset. It’s for painters who are ready to go beyond technique and into expression. It’s for those who want to see the landscape—and themselves—with new eyes. And it’s for anyone who’s ever asked, “What do I have to say as an artist?”
On a completely different note
Disco Fever
Thursday, July 17, 2025, 5-7 PM
19 Elm Street, Camden
Tomorrow is our disco night for Camden’s Third Thursday Art Walk. We’ll be at Lone Pine Real Estate, at 19 Elm St., Camden from 5-7 PM. My buddy Nate Quinn will be the DJ, and we’re featuring paintings by Rachel Houlihan (who has been giving me the gimlet eye about this disco idea all month), Stephen Florimbi and me.
In that we’re shooting for a Studio 54 vibe, I’m bringing champagne along with soft drinks and wine.

If you’re ready to start painting, I’ve just released Seven Protocols for Successful Oil Painters. You’ll learn seven essential protocols that every successful oil painter needs to follow. Each course focuses on one protocol, and you can take them in any order that suits you.
Reserve your spot ASAP for a workshop in 2025:
- Sea and Sky at Acadia National Park, August 3-8, 2025.
- Find Your Authentic Voice in Plein Air, Berkshires, MA, August 11-15, 2025.
- Immersive In-Person Fall Workshop, Rockport, ME, October 6-10, 2025.