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Extreme Plein Air

Extreme Plein Air

The first wash of the plein air painting, on Sky Pond

Extreme Plein Air: Painting an Active Volcano

Blobs of fiery lava the size of school buses were belched into the air — our faces were warmed by the heat and the sonic boom of the blast was uncomfortably loud...
Plein Air Podcast Eric Rhoads, Kevin Macpherson

Plein Air Podcast 260: Kevin Macpherson on Escaping the Creative Rut

In this episode, Eric Rhoads interviews renowned artist Kevin Macpherson, who shares profound insights and inspirational advice for artists looking to reignite their passion.
Paul Kratter sketches the unique shapes of the trees at the Mala Mala Game Reserve.

Into Africa: Painting with Gouache en Plein Air

Follow along as Paul Kratter shares his plein air adventures of painting with gouache on safari.
The brown bear that Bill Davidson encountered while plein air painting in the Tetons

How One Artist Survived a Bear Encounter

What should you do if you see a bear while plein air painting in the wilderness? See what Bill Davidson did to survive his encounter.
Plein air painting at the beach

Making a Splash While Plein Air Painting

One of the things that makes plein air painting so enjoyable is that it’s full of adventure...
Lewis's setup while painting the International Ice Climbing Festival

Ice Climbing for Artists

Plein air painter Lewis Williams recently visited the International Ice Climbing Festival in Ouray, Colorado - not to climb ice, but to ...
Left: Kip Bradley painting en plein air; Right: Kip's painting of the marsh

A Muddy Marsh Adventure

Plein air painter Kip Bradley is painting six marsh locations around Savannah, Georgia over the course of a year to document coastal changes.
Painting vacations

My Best Day of Painting Ever

Was I going to work on one good painting in a short amount of time or was I going to do multiple paintings to see what I could accomplish?
plein air painting vacation - New Zealand with Eric Rhoads

An Exotic Location for Plein Air

Join us for a painting vacation this September > This is a very exclusive trip for those who expect the best possible experiences.

Chasing Fragile Dreams

Come walk with me as I remember one of my dreams and how I chased it. It is a dream that led me, along with my painting gear, all the way to the southern tip of South America.
Plein air painting in bad weather

Plein Air Painting … in a Pod

You may know Sharon Bamber from her incredible 1,000-mile expedition of walking and painting the Way of Saint James in Spain. Here's her brilliant solution to painting through the snow and rain.
Paint the Way 'Cross the USA - by Bike

Biking to PACE?!

In conjunction with PACE 2022 (the Plein Air Convention & Expo), and the excitement of the convention returning as an IN PERSON event, I...
Ted Heublein painting underwater

Plein Air, Sous Marine

Theodore Heublein has been diving for 50 years, and for the past 20, has been painting underwater at the Point Lobos State Natural Reserve....
HipCamping in South Dakota, through the app HipCamp

Plein Air Painting On the Road with a VW Vanagon, My Wife, and My...

In the summer of 2021, we took to the road for a month and a half, leaving New Haven, CT, to make our way to the Pacific Northwest.
painting outdoors with children

Plein Air in Babywear!

We've seen some pretty incredible ways to paint outdoors, but this Plein Air Today reader showed us how she takes it to another level. Bonus: Includes her advice for painting when you have a baby on board!
Granite Group plein air painters

The Granite Group Hikes Again

Painting scenes such as the ultramarine blue lake, a snow melt pond at the foot of a mountain, and more, the Granite Group had an "epic" adventure this year.
Plein air painter Randall Cogburn

A 260-Mile Plein Air Relay

Is it possible to participate in two distant plein air events in the same week? This ambitious artist pushes the limits to find out. Bonus: Includes a list of tips for your next plein air event!
Bicycle and plein air painting

Painting My Way ’Cross the USA — By Bicycle! Part II

In 2019, Lewis Williams began painting his way from California to Maine - by bicycle. Here, he gives us an update on his journey, including the biggest bonus, which came unexpectedly.
Emilie Lee painting en plein air

Diving Into Plein Air

It’s hard for a lot of artists to “take the plunge” into full-time painting, let along taking up art in the first place. However, this story is about as extreme — and entertaining — as it gets.
Stock Schlueter and Paul Rickard, "on top of the world"

Bhutan: A Painter’s Dream

Stock Schlueter shares a day-by-day adventure of traveling to the remote land of Bhutan to paint en plein air for an entire month.