Sir Alfred James Munnings (1878-1959) relied on plein air paintings of horses and landscape in order to create his celebrated paintings of equestrian subjects, and he often took time to sketch his artist friends who were painting nearby. Over a period of years, he and Maurice Codner (1888-1958) often painted each other in the field or posing in the studio.

One of the most promising American artists who excelled at plein air landscapes and figure paintings was Dennis Miller Bunker. He was called “possibly the most gifted of the Boston painters,” and his friend John Singer Sargent wondered “if any one had a greater affection for him than I.” Nevertheless, he would have been completely forgotten were it not for the efforts of the artist R.H. Ives Gammell.

Only 4 days left to get a $200 discount on the price of participating in the most important event ever for outdoor painters! If you aren’t among the hundreds of enthusiasts currently registered for the 1st Annual Plein Air  Convention & Expo in Las Vegas from April 12-15, REGISTER NOW by visiting www.pleinairconvention.com.

Artist Jerry Markham and Doug Swinton, owner of Swinton's Art Supply & Instruction, will provide a painting workshop scholarship to an art student. The opportunity is open to anyone between the ages of 17 to 25, from Canada and the USA, who is currently enrolled in an art program within high school, college/university, or an art institute such as Swinton's Art Instruction or Scottsdale Artist's School. Entry deadline is April 15, 2012. The workshop will be held July 13th to 16th, 2012 in Alberta, Canada.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York recently reopened the American Wing of 26 renovated and enlarged galleries. On display are some of the best known paintings by Frederic E. Church, Worthington Whittredge, John Singer Sargent, and Thomas Cole. For the first time, those masterpieces are hung next to related plein air studies, sculptures, and period furniture.

One of the American painters to be celebrated in the forthcoming exhibition, “Americans in Florence,” is the Missouri-born artist James Carroll Beckwith (1852-1917). His portrait of William Merritt Chase will bring attention to the versatile painter of small plein air landscapes, portraits, and murals who was close friends of Chase, John Singer Sargent and Thomas Eakins. The exhibition opens at the Palazzo Stozzi in Florence, Italy on March 3, 2012 and will continue until July 15, 2012.

Reductions in government funding in the United Kingdom are threatening London’s Tricycle Theatre, but Al Weil, a collector and philanthropist, is allowing the theatre to raise money by selling approximately 35 paintings from his collection of work by the Victorian artist, Hercules Brabazon Brabazon (1821-1906), who was one of John Singer Sargent’s close friends and painting companions.

As the grand nephew of John Singer Sargent (1856-1925), Richard Ormond has devoted much of his professional career to researching the life and work of the artist, and he has written major books on Sargent’s 2000 plus pictures, including the plein air paintings discussed in a new volume. He will be traveling from London to lecture on Sargent during the 1st Annual PleinAir Convention & Expo in Las Vegas from April 12-15, 2012 (www.pleinairconvention.com).

We’ve added a more complete schedule of events, photographs of the speakers and instructors, and registration information to the website for the 1st Annual PleinAir Convention & Expo in April 12-15, 2012. Check out the details about the event that everyone is talking about and planning to attend!

A founding member of the Ten American Painters, J. Alden Weir was president of the National Academy of Design, the first president of the Association of American Painters and Sculptors, and a distinguished American impressionist painter. His home in Ridgefield, Connecticut is now a National Historic Site where artists are invited to spend a month in residence.