Setting up a Roadside Easel: Part 2

Text and Images contributed by Mike Shatilla

Continued from Part 1 ….

Painting Plein Air: Standing Where They Stand

Much of this past year has been spent painting plein air, directly on location.

Sometimes that means pulling safely off a country road and working quickly before the light changes. Other times, I’ve had the privilege of being invited onto private farms by generous landowners who appreciate what I’m trying to do. Painting outdoors forces honesty. There’s no hiding from the wind, shifting clouds, or changing shadows. The experience feels immediate; it’s a personal connection to that place that I can bring back into the studio for a more in-depth study. I’m standing on the same ground my grandfather once did, even if it’s not the same farm. There’s something grounding about that.

Even though I never worked a day on a farm, being out there with my easel feels familiar. As if I’m participating in the land in the only way I know how — through paint.

Studio Work: Reflection and Refinement

Back in the studio, those plein air studies become something deeper.

The studio gives me time to reflect — not just on the structure of the barn, but on what it represents. I refine compositions, strengthen light, and build layers of color. I think about resilience. About labour. About inheritance. About the sounds of the animals and the environment around me.

I ask myself what story the painting is telling, and even deeper what stories these locations must hold.

It’s Personal

This body of work isn’t just about architecture or rural nostalgia, it’s about connection. It’s about honouring where I come from, even if my path looks different. My grandfather’s relationship to the land was practical and physical. Mine is observational and creative. But both are rooted in respect.

Painting these barns feels like a conversation across generations.

Thanks for listening,

Mike Shatilla  | Design Guru t: 905.636.9676 | c: 416.890.2333 @paintings_by_mikeshatilla

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