John Stobart, renowned as the foremost living maritime artist, spent his boyhood in the English Midlands.

He traces his fascination for ships and the sea to a visit to Liverpool at the age of eight. Following four years of training in drawing and painting at Derby College of Art, he continued his studies at London's Royal Academy Schools, where he was influenced by two of the academy's former students, Constable and Turner.

During his student days, Stobart discovered the joys and benefits of painting outdoors and developed the conviction that painting from nature can be both a means to an end and an end in itself. He believes that onsite painting is key to preserving the artist's most important asset, the individuality of style.

This special DVD show the simplicity of the method that John Stobart has developed during his professional career. It presents the aspiring artist with an overview of the requirements for painting from nature. Included is a lesson on drawing basic shapes and perspective, preparing a simple canvas, and assembling materials for a field trip. Following a painting demonstration on site at Lake George in upstate New York, Stobart Shares with viewers a number of studio works which benefit from his practice of painting directly from life.