How to Protect Your Eyes from Snow Blindness
Jane Hunt's eyes ached when she recently painted a snow scene, so she tried to crowd-source a solution: She went to Facebook and asked...
Salon Judge Looks for Work Done From Life
The October-November contest in the PleinAir Salon wraps up November 30 (get your entries in now!), and the judge for this contest, Joseph McGurl,...
Why This Works: Simple in Design, Complex in Execution
In this series, plein air painter and instructor Jeanne Mackenzie takes a look at new paintings by contemporary artists and points out why they...
Why This Works: Low Key Painting, High Chromatic Light
This series returns, with plein air painter and instructor Jeanne Mackenzie taking a look at new paintings by contemporary artists and pointing out why...
Spotlight on PACE Faculty: George Van Hook and Hopping Coasts
New York State painter George Van Hook says tackling an unfamiliar landscape with a drastically different look can be easier if the artist adopts...
PleinAir Salon Double-Winner John McCartin Spills His Secrets
Seemingly out of nowhere, John McCartin won the PleinAir Salon contest two times in a row, as well as a category prize. And he...
Why This Works: Careful Placement of Vibrant Accent
This series returns, with plein air painter and instructor Jeanne Mackenzie taking a look at new paintings by contemporary artists and pointing out why...
Tahoe Artist Suggests Silk Painting Outdoors
Addie Chernus paints on silk on location and loves it. There are at least three reasons why. "It requires minimal materials,"...
Color Harmony Assured
San Diego painter Danny Griego finds that a limited palette virtually ensures color harmony in his paintings, and helps him express mood. ...
Getting Just a Bit More Height
Do you keep bed risers in your car? Evidently, plein air warrior Williamson Tapia does. Tapia was competing in the Sedona...
Using Black and Red to Work on Greens
Brian Brigham was not satisfied with the darks in his plein air pastels, so he took a novel approach: He worked on a black...
Suggesting Detail in 75 Minutes, Step by Step
Brazilian painter Marcelo Romani Borges de Araujo agreed to share with our readers some photos of a painting in its various stages, and a...
Composition and Cropping, as Easy as (Pizza) Pie
Ever find that the composition seems right and ready in your viewfinder, but during the painting session, that original vision goes askew? Grab a...
What Art Can Do for Johns Hopkins Scholars
Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore enjoys a sterling reputation as a research university. But the institution has learned to value artistic expression as well. ...
What Is Learned on the Road?
Jeff Markowsky spent about three months on the road, painting America and attending the Plein Air Convention & Expo. Here's what it did for...
“Throwing Gouache Around” on Location
Gary Geraths refers to his technique of using gouache -- or opaque watercolor -- as "throwing it around." In part that's because gouache can...
Painting a 10-Foot-Wide Triptych on Location
Heinley Fine Arts in Taos, New Mexico, recently unveiled a 30 x 120-inch triptych titled "In Memoriam" that Jivan Lee created on location in...
Keeping Bright Colors in Check
Kyle Buckland recently painted along Beaver Dam Creek in the Backbone Rock National Forest in Tennessee and had to adjust his usual bright palette...
Look Closely at the Surface
We begin a new series of close-up details of plein air paintings that can suggest ways of handling oils, watercolors, pastels, and other media...
Recycle Your Laptop as a Plein Air Box
Not sure what to do with that old laptop computer no one can repair or upgrade? Arizona artist Karen McLain came up with a...