OutdoorPainter

Discover Sharon Sprung's selections for the February/March 2026 PleinAir Salon art competition, which has a huge announcement of its own ...

Explore artist Kyle Buckland's approach to impressionist oil painting techniques, focusing on expressive brushstrokes, texture, and his unique process for creating captivating landscape paintings.

Members of San Luis Outdoor Painters for the Environment were invited to exhibit original paintings and fine art prints at Carrizo Plain National Monument, celebrating nature’s abundant wildflower display...

In this excerpt from "Beautiful Landscape Painting Outdoors: Mastering Plein Air," Michael Chesley Johnson explains how to finish a painting, and three tricks to help you decide if it's complete.

Joe Anna Arnett was a beloved member of the plein air painting community. This month, her work is being celebrated by "Art With Purpose," offering collectors a rare opportunity. Created over decades of devoted practice, these paintings represent the final available pieces of Joe Anna's artistic legacy, with a portion of the proceeds going to ...

"The working process is intense and concentrated . . . and it IS work." Plein air painter Harry Stooshinoff shares his inspiration for continuously painting the landscape.

Are you ready for an unforgettable plein air painting retreat? Whenever people think of China, the first thing that pops into mind is the Great...

“As artists, it is our responsibility to show up and do the work, creating our best work with minimal concern on how others view our work.”

There’s a moment — every plein air painter knows it — when you stand at the front door with your kit carefully packed … and your resolve already starting to waver. The light looked better an hour ago. The wind has picked up. The canvas you pulled out has a ghost of a failed painting on it. And some part of your brain suggests, with the best of intentions, that ...

In this issue of PleinAir Magazine: Follow 22 plein air artists into the forest; Finding the Fire with Andrew Tischler; Painting What Remains with Anton Nowels; The Color of Distance with Rayleigh Scattering; and more.

This prestigious exhibition brought together 124 artists from across the United States to compete for top honors and a coveted invitation to the 2026 Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational. The top winners are ...

Mary Longe explains why you should consider a competitive plein air event, including the various types, common elements, and what not to do.

This week, we've been learning how to paint landscapes and more from this year's esteemed Acrylic Live line-up of teachers. Here's one of our favorite tips so far, coming from Ann Larsen, who says, "I strive to create a feeling of time and place in each painting."

Right now we're seeing up-close-and-personal presentations during Acrylic Live, an online art conference unlike any other.

Check out these April 2026 plein air painting events, highlighting groups in California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah. Bonus: Catch this month's deadlines so you don't miss out on upcoming opportunities.

As an artist, what role can you play in the conservation and preservation of land, cultures, and buildings?

Watch and interact with world-renowned artists as they demonstrate their skills at Acrylic Live, Wednesday through Friday, with an Essential Techniques Day on Tuesday. We'll see favorites such as Anne Blair Brown, Charlie Easton, and ...

In this demonstration from PleinAir Magazine, we see how Beth Bathe uses water-mixable oils to create the tonal landscape painting, "Pipkas Cottage."

"I always wondered why artists painted a series when there were tens of thousands of themes one could explore - until ..."

Located on a 100-mile stretch of scenic coastal towns on the Gulf in North Florida, Forgotten Coast en Plein Air is a 10-day invitational event taking place March 20-29. Invited artists include ...

A painting only has to answer to itself. By almost completely abstracting the landscape, Scott Gellatly distills the experience of nature to its essence, and, perhaps more important, he ...

Popsicle Painting Part 2: From the backpack to shoes, the “day pack” makes all of the difference for plein air painters, including this one, who loves to combine skiing with his brush time.

"Why do artists do it?” asks painter Russell Jewel. “Why do we bare our souls to the public and risk one person’s opinion?” His words capture the tension every artist feels when entering a juried event — the balance between vulnerability and ambition. But what makes a painting rise above the rest? What qualities make a viewer stop, linger, and fall in love? We turned to some of the art world’s most experienced judges, collectors, and curators to find out.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by color, confused by perspective, or frustrated with your tools, you’re not alone. Inspired by John Pototschnik's teachings, let's break down five common artist frustrations and the simple changes that can transform your painting experience. ✨

Imbuing her work with the lessons of art history, this Maine oil painter takes advantage of amassed techniques and skills to stay in the moment and express her feelings about a scene.