From the Latest Issue of PleinAir Magazine

PleinAir Magazine February/March 2026

Featured Artwork

Latest Articles

Art Marketing Minute: Tips for Alignment and Consistency

Art Marketing Minute: Tips for Alignment and Consistency

In this episode of the Art Marketing Minute Podcast, Eric Rhoads answers questions about your brand consistency and creating momentum for selling your art without peaks and valleys. Watch and listen here!
Plein Air Podcast with Eric Rhoads and Nathan Fowkes on artist practice

Nathan Fowkes on Relentless Practice, Simplification & Plein Air Technique

In this episode of the Plein Air Podcast, discover Nathan Fowkes’s practical advice on daily studies, gouache plein air workflow, and storytelling design—insights ahead of his Plein Air Convention demo.
Artist Kari Ganoung Ruiz plein air painting during the Lighthouse Paint Out Competition at Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Museum

The Top Plein Air Painting Events for March 2026

Take advantage of these in-person and virtual plein air painting opportunities from our special guide, highlighting events in California, Florida, Louisiana, and even online. Bonus: Catch this month's deadlines so you don't miss out on upcoming opportunities to participate at similar events.
plein air painting - Inspired by their grit and “the fleeting moments that define their hard-earned livelihood,” Lyudmila Tomova Clark is drawn to scenes of fishermen at work.

Plein Air Stories: A Fisherman Saved My Brush

The following is part of a series that spotlights an artist who loves painting outdoors. Today's feature is on Lyudmila Tomova Clark, who is inspired by the grit - and in this case, kind and quick consideration - of fishermen.
CW Mundy, painting en plein air

Inspirational Insights from CW Mundy

Be inspired by American Impressionist artist CW Mundy, who explores the rewards of plein air painting, from changing light and natural sounds to the lasting impact on his studio work.
Jack McGowan painting in winter in plein air

Popsicle Plein Air Painting

Who says you can only paint outdoors in warm weather? If you put together the right equipment and have a bit of adventurous spirit, this is a way to find new inspiration. Here's how one New Mexico artist does it.
San Diego Watercolor Society

4th Graders Learn Plein Air Painting

The series introduced students to the plein air tradition through brief art history lessons, live artist demonstrations, and hands-on outdoor painting sessions, culminating in a docent-led museum visit and a student paint-out in Balboa Park.
Ellen Howard's plein air setup for "Standing Tall"

The Complexity and Nuance of “Standing Tall”

Ellen Howard was an invited artist and VIP at this year's Desert Plein Air Competition. Here, she shares her inspiration for the two paintings she entered, and her gratitude for the plein air community.
Marc Grandbois, painting en plein air

Why I Paint With Acrylics en Plein Air

After painting with watercolor for two decades, Marc Grandbois shares why acrylic painting fills his needs for painting on location, and how it's the "perfect bridge."
Plein air paintings - Cincinnati Museum Center Union Terminal

Plein Air Paintings of Cincinnati’s Union Terminal

Marlene Steele's plein air paintings document the renovation of the historic Cincinnati Union Terminal and celebrate traditional trades in the revitalization of the Art Deco train station now known as the Cincinnati Museum Center.
Do you know why many of the top studio and plein air artists are exploring gouache? It's their portable studio in a tube – paint anywhere without solvents or setup. Gouache paints with the feel and flexibility of oil, yet dilutes to get the effects of watercolor.
This year's Winter Art Escape offered unparalleled opportunities for artistic growth, including one-on-one painting sessions with Eric Rhoads. Enjoy this photo essay of our paint-outs and more.
Plein air painter Gene Costanza shares his five quick tips for artists on composition, color, and more.
Although I still sometimes set up my easel in the snow in early spring, for the past 10 years I’ve increasingly painted wintry landscapes from my car. I’ve become so used to it that I can now work fairly large — as big as a quarter sheet of watercolor paper (11 x 15 inches). It may seem awkward, but I’ve been doing this for so long that it’s actually become one of my favorite places to paint. Here's how I do it, and my advice for plein air painting in winter.

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