Plein air landscape painting with a pizza box: A lightweight, inexpensive approach

Over the years, I’ve focused on developing the most efficient and affordable plein air painting process. The more I think about it, the more I’ve come to believe that simplicity is key out in the wild. It's better to abandon the idea that you need to create a finished, gallery-ready artwork outdoors. What matters most to me is the experience of being in nature, feeling its inspiration, and capturing that essence on canvas. The act of painting should serve as a means to express what moves you in nature—not as a burden or distraction.

With this in mind, I’ve arrived at a minimalist, low-fuss approach that allows me to focus on the landscape, not the gear. After all, painting in nature should be about the joy of the environment, not the hassle of transporting easels, brushes, and bulky equipment. The goal is to enjoy the walk, find inspiration naturally, and avoid getting bogged down in the search for the “perfect” composition.

Inspired by the Australian Heidelberg School painters, who in the late 1880s used cigar boxes as portable sketch easels, I’ve developed a lightweight, cost-effective setup that works perfectly for plein air painting. Here’s my pizza box painting process