Plein Air Painting an Imagined Figure?
The following is part of a series that spotlights an artist who loves painting outdoors. Today's feature is on ...
Painting On Location and Visual Veracity
Artist Don Demers shares his insights, motivations, and creative process for his maritime and landscape paintings.
5 Compelling Pastels by Jill Stefani Wagner
For this dedicated painter, artistic growth comes from seizing on a compelling scene, painting with speed, then looking ahead to the next experience.
How Plein Air Painting Sets Me Up For Success
In this art snippet, Raj Chaudhuri, who has been on the faculty of the Plein Air Convention & Expo, shares his inspiration for plein air painting, specifically in India, where he grew up. He now travels the world teaching and painting.
Stolen Brushes!
We love to hear from the Plein Air Today community! The following is part of a series that spotlights an artist who loves painting...
Looking for Vibrancy, and How I Found It
"I want my paintings to be so vibrant they pop out of the frame," says Steve Browning. "I enjoy seeing brush marks on the surface, and the way a painting can come to life with just a few strokes."
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.
I Paint Miniature Landscapes, and Here’s Why
Meet Persian artist Shokoufeh Shadabi, who paints miniature landscapes as her form of artistic expression.
4 Ways Don Demers Approaches a Landscape
Everyone says "paint what you see," but here's how Don Demers approaches a scene. Bonus: In "Painting Rocks and Water in Plein Air," you get to spend a full afternoon at his easel, learning how he works...
Secret Spaces that Became Art: “The Terrace at the Garden at Les Lauves”
Near the end of his life, Paul Cézanne increasingly translated his deep feeling for nature into a series of color patches so abstract that, in hindsight, they seem to anticipate the abstract art of a far later era. One of his last works ...
I Forgot My Brushes, So I Used …
"Whenever space opens in my crazy schedule, I grab my materials and head outside to paint for a few hours,” says Sue Barrasi. “On this occasion, I drove to a charming site I’d filed away in my memory for when the time was right..."
Our 5 Non-Negotiables of Art Marketing
As Buddy Odom stepped in to help grow the career of his wife, celebrated plein air painter Kathie Odom, he took his cues from the artist herself. Along the way, they identified five art marketing secrets to success.
How to Paint Clouds: My Approach and 3 Tips ☁️☁️☁️
Plein air painter Christine Code shares her approach to painting clouds and skies, and how she "found a sweet spot between chasing and sticking to a composition."
The Greatest Accomplishment of a Landscape Painter
Like most mornings, which start with a walk in a beautiful rural setting, I became immersed in the feeling of life in every blade of grass and droplet of dew that caressed the unfolding scenes before me as I reveled in the experience.
How the Moon Inspires My Seascapes
A witness to two rare lunar events, this Florida transplant embarked on a quest to capture the ocean’s shifting colors under the light of the moon.
The Best Artist-Friendly Cities to Visit – or Live – In America
Looking for a new spot to spark your creativity? Whether you're planning an inspiring trip or considering a big move, finding an artist-friendly community is key. We've crowdsourced a list of cities and towns across America—some famous, some small—that are drawing artists for their vibrant scenes, unique offerings, and stunning landscapes.
That Unknown, Undefined, Yet Beautiful Balance
"The working process is intense and concentrated . . . and it IS work." Plein air painter Harry Stooshinoff shares his inspiration for continuously painting the landscape.
How to Deal with Criticism as an Artist
“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.”
Showing Up
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 ...
What’s Inside PleinAir Magazine (April/May 2026)
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.