Jim McVicker didn’t go to art school and hasn’t participated in a workshop, yet his still life painting that just won the First Place award in the September/October PleinAir Salon competition was sold through one of the most prestigious galleries in the country. Find out how he succeeded.

Now in its third year, Plein Air Vermont attracted some of the top plein air artists in the country to the event, held from September 4-9, 2012. PleinAir magazine editor Steve Doherty selected the top award winners and John MacDonald picked the winners in the quick draw competition. See who won the awards!

Vermont artist George Van Hook is living proof that plein air painters don’t have to be neat and tidy to create great paintings. By the time he has completed one of his stunning painting outdoors, there is as much oil paint on his clothes, equipment, face, and hands as there is on the large canvases. Recently, his skills and fortitude were put to the test when Van Hook painted at the Merck Forest & Farmland Preserve in Rupert, VT.

Almost 40 artists participated in the in the Adirondack Plein Air Festival (APAF) from August 18-21, 2011 and competed for prizes judged by Steward White. Nicolay Mikushkin won the Best of Show award and received a one-quarter page ad in a future issue of  PleinAir magazine. Tarryl Gabel won the Spirit of Health & Healing Through the Arts award, and George Van Hook won the Cape Air award.

One of the many benefits to participating in plein air festivals, paint-outs, and artists’ conventions is being part of something that is bigger than the sum total of the individual members. The association with a professionally run event can connect, validate, and promote the participating artists in ways they never could on their own, especially in this age of social media like Facebook and Twitter.