October ‘26
Hello from McKinney, TX!
October began with a plein air event in McKinney, Texas. This was my second year participating, and it is always such a treat! The painters are delightful!! There's always a wonderful camaraderie among artists. Perhaps because we spend so much of our time tucked away in our studios, when we finally get together to discuss our shared passions, the conversations and enthusiasm are nearly unstoppable! … or so it seems to be for me. I love meeting other artists and art enthusiasts.
Plein air painting (painting from life, outdoors) is so important for artistic growth, and I simply don't do it enough. This annual event is always both exhilarating and humbling! Haha! I've set a rather modest goal to complete four plein air paintings between now and next October.
Last year, I painted an old building in historic downtown McKinney. When I showed my husband, he commented that he'd never seen me paint a building before. He wasn't entirely wrong! I had painted them, but not often. I've since painted a small handful of paintings of buildings and have loved the challenge of them.
This year for the paint out, however, I promised myself I would paint something more familiar. I painted a tree.
And I titled the piece, in my head anyway, Sad, Little Tree.
It was an overcast day with intermittent rain, and I'd brought my daughter along. Rather than ask her to stand in the rain while I painted, we found shelter beneath a park pavilion, which offered a fairly limited selection of views. Hence, Sad, Little Tree.
I didn't get a good photograph of the painting before wiping it clean, so unfortunately, Sad, Little Tree will have to live on in our imaginations! (You can see the actual tree in the top left of the photo below.)
A couple of hours in, I'd lost motivation for the tree when I glanced over at my daughter. Having finished her own painting, she was now completely transfixed by a movie on my phone (we do what we can). Suddenly, she was a wonderfully still and peaceful subject.
How quickly I moved to a fresh canvas to paint her instead! She was also so amused by the idea.
I was so much more pleased with the painting of her! The overcast light lent such beautiful softness to the scene, though I had to work quickly because children do not sit still forever. All in all, a wonderful day of painting. Bucket list item of painting her from life — Check! And I'm especially grateful to have this little keepsake of our time together that day.
Something exciting is coming November 16th!
I've been painting away since spring on a new collection of original work, and I'm thrilled to finally share that it will be available November 16th! This collection feels monumental to me. It includes some of my largest non-commissioned paintings to date, and I have been collecting references for some of these pieces for years. It’s very exciting to be painting them now.
As a newsletter subscriber, you'll receive a special email on November 14thwith a PDF lookbook of the entire collection, including sizes and pricing. You'll have a chance to see everything together and consider your favorites before the release.
For now, here's a tiny preview through a few behind-the-scenes photographs... while a few paintings are completed, most are at varying stages of completion in these images. (Ps. the painting at the top of this letter is also part of the collection.)
I'm looking forward to a full month of painting and drawing as I finish this collection! And speaking of drawing, custom drawing reservations are currently open if you'd like to commission something special.
Until next time,
-SARAH C. NIGHTINGALE
*A special thank-you discount code was emailed to subscribers on October 12, 2026, and has been omitted from this archived newsletter.