Lori McNee

Plein Air Painting — “MacGyver” Style

When caught in a plein air painter’s paradise without all the “necessary” tools, Lori McNee got creative, and her horse helped. Here’s how...
Painting My Way ’Cross the USA — By Bicycle!

Painting My Way ’Cross the USA — By Bicycle!

Meet Lewis Williams, a plein air artist with a big dream to paint his way, via bicycle, from California to Maine.
Debra Huse plein air painting on a boat

Plein Air Painting — On a Boat!

Watch a video clip of Debra Huse painting while on a boat and using a custom “rod-pochade.”
Blending plein air paintings with reality - OutdoorPainter.com

Blending Plein Air Paintings with Real Life

We recently discovered Marcelo Rocha on Instagram when he posted a surprising video from a plein air session. You have to see it to believe it, so watch here.
Plein Air Painters of Alaska - OutdoorPainter.com

Plein Air Painting in the Land of the Midnight Sun

The Plein Air Painters of Alaska, bound together by their hardy Alaskan “can do” attitude, have battled grizzly bears, huge swarms of mosquitoes, inclement weather, and hours of winter darkness to pursue their passion for painting outside.
Plein air painting

Ancestral Plein Air Journey

Read about a plein air painter’s journey to the magical — though traumatic — land of Poland.
En Train Air - plein air painting trip

En Train Air

This project celebrates a little-observed but crucial aspect of the American experience — the coming and going of the daily train, linking small towns to the nation at large.
Painting Shanghai Disneyland

Painting Shanghai Disneyland

George Scribner takes us on his once-in-a-lifetime journey of painting the construction of Shanghai Disneyland.
Painting nocturnes en plein air - OutdoorPainter.com

Adventures in Painting Nocturnes on Location

To study the art of painting nocturnes, Jake Gaedtke began venturing into the mountains at 2:00 a.m. There, he began a personal series of lessons in painting, in fears of the unknown, and in close calls with nature. Read about his apprehensions and challenges in this guest blog post, and see if it inspires you to paint outdoors at night!
Painting en plein air - OutdoorPainter.com

Adventures in Painting Outdoors: The Granite Group

It seemed the closer we got to our destination, the worse it got, starting with cloudy skies and the sound of distant thunder, progressing to light rain, then a steady downpour punctuated with regular flashes of lightning and loud claps of thunder. Finally, within a quarter-mile or so of the campsite, it began to hail the size of gumballs...
Plein air landscape painting

Birthdays, Bucket Lists, and 25 Plein Air Painting Trip Tips

Milessa Murphy Stewart shares her experiences of painting in the snow for the first time. See why she describes her plein air painting trip as “exhilarating, captivating, and awe-inspiring,” and why you should start making plans to treat yourself to a similar trip.
Plein air painting and art retreats

Plein Air Surprises in Canada

Those who venture beyond the studio to paint outdoors know that surprises are often around the corner. For this group of adventurous artists, nature did not disappoint.
Painting Outdoors

Painting the “Dwelling Place of the Gods”

Canadian artist and filmmaker Cory Trépanier has been exploring and painting Canada’s Arctic for over a decade. Experience the Arctic through his eyes in this preview of an upcoming exhibition (including captivating video footage from his adventures).
Painting outdoors - Christine Drewyer - OutdoorPainter.com

Sometimes You Have to Get Wet to Find Your Inspiration

If you are in search of the perfect plein air experience and that all-important inspired location to paint, sometimes you must be willing to leave the beaten path and get your feet wet!
Plein air paintings by Richard Lindenberg - OutdoorPainter.com

Where in the World Is Plein Air?

Today, no matter where you are, you can watch dozens of outdoor painters bring their works to fruition.

30 Degrees Below Doesn’t Stop These Painters

Since 2010, painters have gathered at YMCA Camp Menogyn to paint the austere beauty of Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in the heart of winter.

Hiking to (and Painting) Sperry Chalet

Miles of hiking through the glaciers of Montana led Linda Tippetts to paint “Sperry Chalet,” which later suffered from the park fires of 2017. Read about her thrilling trek in this guest blog post.

Watch: Drone Films an Artist Painting Outdoors in Beautiful California

Plein air artist Donald Neff shows us in this video he created using a drone while painting along the beautiful California coast.

Plein Air in Provence

France — where beauty resides in every village and field — is a favorite destination for me. I love traveling there and painting from life the beauty I see. How did my recent trip go? Find out here...

The Painter from Ipanema

On a recent trip to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, my wife and I were walking along the sidewalk at Ipanema Beach when I noticed a group of plein air painters in the median strip between the different lane directions on the boulevard.