plein air painters

These Are Some Hot Artists

We love to hear from the Plein Air Today community! The following is part of a series that spotlights artists who love painting outdoors.
Landscape painter Rick J. Delanty

Let’s Talk About the “T” Word

Excerpt: Landscape painter Rick J. Delanty addresses a misconception that “non-artists” seem to have about …
Albert Handell is a Master Pastelist of the Pastel Society of America, and was the third living artist to be inaugurated into the Pastel Hall of Fame.

Quick Tip: Open Your “Memory Box”

On Day 1 of the 3rd Annual Pastel Live, Albert Handell combined two reference photos to create a nature-inspired scene of ...
Plein air art collection

A Personal Connection with Her Plein Air Art Collection

Spotlight on a personal plein air painting art collection: "We attend a number of plein air events and competitions around the country and have enjoyed getting to know many of the participating artists."
Amit Kapoor, "Beauty of Madrid," 2018, watercolor, 15 x 22 in., Collection the artist, Plein air

PACE Spotlight: Plein Air Watercolor Artist Amit Kapoor

The following is part of a series featuring a leader in the art community who is on the faculty of the 11th Annual Plein Air Convention & Expo in The Great Smoky Mountains.
Kimball Geisler (in the center) celebrating his PleinAir Salon win with Paul Kratter, Aimee Erickson, and Suzie Baker

Joy Is Infectious in the Plein Air Community

In this Editor’s Letter from PleinAir Magazine, see how some of the most powerful moments at PACE happened behind the scenes.
Geeta Pattanaik's plein air setup

Poof … Gone

Earlier this year in California, I thought I would try to capture some of the snowy mountain sights in a plein air painting or two ...
Tony Bennett with his artwork. Image courtesy of Benedetto

The Art World Remembers Tony Bennett: Singer, Artist (1926-2023)

"... always stay with quality, never compromise." ~Tony Bennett
Lester Salazar painting on location at Tradewinds Park

Studio Artist “Rescued” by Plein Air

How plein air painting opened creative possibilities for a career-long studio artist ...
Plein air sunset quick studies by Jeremy Mann

Art Snippet: How the Viewer Will Join You

"A wonderful study of changing harmonies and fleeting moments comes from a quick five-minute plein air thumbnails of the sunset," says Jeremy Mann.
Lori Putnam, "The Keeper's House," oil on linen, 20 x 24 in.

Lori Putnam, So Far

We're excited to share with you the news that Lori Putnam has published a beautiful collection of her works in a book titled "Lori Putnam, So Far." The following is ...
From Rick Delanty's sketchbook: An equine statue of a horse head at the South Dakota Museum of Art

Eccentric? Maybe …

“Life has definitely changed since I began painting plein air,” said Carl Bretzke. He’s not alone, as you’ll see in this just-for-fun roundup of unconventional ...
plein air paintings - Kathie Odom, “Log Some Time,” 2018, 12 x 12 in., plein air

Where There is a Will …

What Kathie Odom did when found herself finally painting in Cades Cove, Tennessee, but without a single paintbrush ...
Richie N. Vios worked as an architect before taking up watercolor full time in 2018.

10 Tips for Competing in Plein Air Events

If you're new to painting at plein air events, check out this handy list of tips from Richie N. Vios.
Craig Reynolds, “Old 51 Stud,” 2015, oil, 12 x 16 in., Private collection, Plein air

Auto Inspo: 8 Plein Air Paintings of Cars and Trucks

Symbols of freedom, innovation, and adventure, automobiles have long captured the imagination of American artists. For some ...
Pastel artist Albert Handell painting en plein air in Taos, New Mexico

How Albert Frames a Focal Point

The following is part of a series featuring a leader in the art community who will be joining us on the faculty of Pastel Live, a virtual art conference taking place August 17-19, 2023.
Michael Gaudreau, "Patriot's Chairs," oil, 12 x 12 in.

Show Us Your Fourth of July Plein Air Painting!

While many of us are celebrating the Fourth of July with potlucks and fireworks, as a creative you're likely to be secretly - or very publicly - taking it all in with a different perspective, and we want to see it.
Plein air painter Kirk McBride lives with his wife, painter Lynne Lockhart, and their two dogs on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

The Last Cast

Before the fishing industry disappears completely from the East Coast landscape, plein air painter Kirk McBride is documenting what’s left of this once-thriving way of life.
Dave Santillanes, "Shadow Dance," 2015, oil, 12 x 9 in., private collection, plein air

Moving Mountains for the Sake of Design

How Dave Santillanes will move mountains to achieve harmony and balance in a painting composition.
Plein air painter John Misner

Reader Spotlight: John Misner’s Favorite Subject

"My favorite subject to paint is a landscape with some architecture. Here I am at Santa Fe on All Saints' Day 2022." ~ John...