Artist Profiles

Learn about what projects your fellow plein artists are up to, see online galleries of their landscape paintings, and more in these profiles!

pastel painting - Jill Stefani Wagner, “Promenade,” Pastel on UArt pastel board, 12" x 9", Private collection

Pastel Painting: On Sketches, Composition, and Visual Brainstorming

The following is part of a series that features the best artists who are teaching others pastel painting techniques.
watercolor plein air painting

Wishy-Washy Watercolor? Far From It!

Georgia Mansur reveals how watercolor contributes to her personal aesthetic and enhances her preferred way of working, and why it's the perfect medium for painting en plein air.
Artist posing with her painting en plein air

Artist Spotlight: Carole Belliveau

How did you develop your unique style and why? Carole Belliveau: I put away my brushes determined to teach myself to use new tools such...

Artist Spotlight: Charlie Easton

How do you describe success? Charlie Easton: Success comes in many different forms. Of course I need to pay the mortgage, so recognition and sales...
photo of artist actively painting at raceway

Artist Spotlight: Justin Vining

What is the most interesting thing you have painted? Justin Vining: As a plein air painter, I have found myself in a lot of interesting...
Plein air painting of an Airstream RV

The Big *&#! Shapes

The artistic process of a plein air painter inspired by architecture and the act of "building" a painting.

Artist Spotlight: Cindy Briggs, NWS, NWWS

How do you describe success? Cindy Briggs: At a PACE event, I remember Eric Rhoads asking the group, “Do you want to be rich, famous...
artist posing for a picture while painting at the easel outside

Artist Spotlight: Manon Sander

How did you develop your unique style? Manon Sander: Taste in art is very personal. My style of choice is impressionism, as the expressive brushwork...

Artist Spotlight: Ellen Howard

How did you get started and then develop your career? Ellen Howard: I have always had a strong interest in art and was raised in...
Tim Kelly during the filming of his Today Show segment

The Artist Behind the Wheel of a Semi-Trailer

Although you’ll find him behind the wheel of a semi-truck for much of the week, Tim Kelly will be the first to tell you, "I'm a painter that drives a truck."

Artist Spotlight: TINA BOHLMAN

How do I find inspiration? It actually “finds” me! There are 3 deciding factors on whether to paint a scene; 1st is the light; I’m...
Painting en plein air

11 Lessons From a Traveling Painter

Lori Putnam stops for a moment to share what a decade of painting en plein air and away from home 120 days of the year has taught her.
artist painting outdoors, by the Missouri river

Artist Spotlight: Farley Lewis

How did you get started and then develop your career? Farley Lewis: My art career began around age 20, shocked and thrilled that someone actually...
Plein air painter - Mark Shasha, “Afternoon Serendipity,” Oil on canvas, 24" x 30"

The Most Honest Form of Painting

It's an exciting time to be an artist, especially a plein air painter. Find inspiration here with Mark Shasha.
Hsin-Yao Tseng, "Lantern Light," 2017,oil, 12 x 9 in., Private collection, Plein air painting

Hsin-Yao Tseng’s Unending Ambition for Plein Air Painting

Go "behind the easel" and learn Hsin-Yao Tseng's plein air painting techniques, which are driven by his unending ambition to make better paintings.
Artists Evgeny and Lydia Baranov

Living the Dream: Plein Air Couple Counts 55 Trips … and Counting

Be inspired by plein air artists Evgeny and Lydia Baranov, a married couple who have won multiple awards in the PleinAir Salon, have been published in multiple art magazines, and have dedicated their lives to painting in Europe and beyond.
Stewart White, "Balboa," watercolor

Should You Plan Your Plein Air Painting?

Plein air watercolor artist Stewart White has a background in illustration and design, which shows in his paintings and his teachings. The following is his Q&A on the benefits of travel for artists, the use of edges in a painting, and thoughts on planning a plein air piece.
Rebecca Arguello, "Carpinteria Bluffs 2," 2020, oil, 12 x 16 in., Available from artist, Plein air and studio

Today’s Inspiration: Expressive Realism

Contemporary plein air and studio painter Rebecca Arguello shares her inspiration, her biggest aha moment, and the art advice she wished she had heard earlier in her career. 
painting with gouache

Painting with Gouache: 7 Serene Examples

Mike Hernandez is an Art Director in the animation industry and a plein air artist who loves painting with gouache. Here, he shares seven of his landscapes along with inside info just for you.

Artist Spotlight: Jessie Rasche

How did you get started and then develop your career? Jessie Rasche: 15 years ago I became a professional fine artist, starting with tiny still...