“One key aspect of my approach to plein air painting came out of my 13 summers as a smokejumper,” says Californian Davis Perkins, who came to our attention after he won an award in the PleinAir Salon competition. Find out what he means in this article, and during his presentation at the Plein Air Convention & Expo (www.pleinairconvention.com).

Virginia artist Eleanor Cox has years of experience as a plein air watercolor artist and teacher, and she has some advice to offer on techniques and procedures. Cox recently returned from teaching a workshop in Provence, France, and she shares photographs and recommendations from that trip.

View the trailer for “Into the Arctic II,” a film about plein air painter Cory Trepanier returning to paint the Canadian Arctic. The film has been nominated for a Canadian Screen Award in the category of Best Performing Arts/Art Documentary.

The Bennington Center for the Arts is accepting entries to its Small Works Exhibition and Sale, set to run May 11-December 22, 2013. Landscapes, figural works, and other representational subjects smaller than 11” x 14” are eligible. Find out how and when to enter.

Among the many blessings of being a plein air painter is the opportunity to show people the beauty we discover in their surroundings. That opportunity came to Robert P. Britton, Jr., after he painted a waterfall that held memories for the woman who owned the property.

The March 2013 digital edition of PleinAir presents an informative article about a group of American plein air painters, organized by W. Jason Situ, who were invited to a region of China seldom visited by tourists. They shared their talents with local artists, a museum’s staff, cultural officials, and curious onlookers.

For the very first time, a resort in Goleta, California, has invited members of Southern California Artists Painting for the Environment (S-C-A-P-E) to exhibit paintings, in an effort to help benefit the Naples Coalition and Gaviota Coast Conservancy. Find out when it will happen.

“We hereby invite all of your plein air artists to come to Curacao to participate in our Plein Air Curacao Art Festival from February 22-March 2, 2013,” writes Hellen Chirino-Roosberg. This will be the third time artists have gathered to paint on the colorful island.

Plein air paintings often capture more than the outward appearance of the landscape. For Mitch Kolbe, the series of paintings he created over the past 20 years of his family’s farm in North Carolina are a record of his life and heritage.

Derek Daniells likes to paint along the narrow streets of Stony Stratford in England. Normally, the location is reasonably quiet, but at times the snow, cold temperatures, and splashes from passing “lorries” force him to take refuge in the local pub.