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Artist Profiles

Learn about what projects your fellow plein artists are up to, see online galleries of their landscape paintings, and more in these profiles!

image of Carol with demo painting

Artist Spotlight: Carol Strock Wasson, IAPS-EP, PSA-M, AWA CPP-M

Carol Strock Wasson: I've always found magic in the interplay of layers—the dialogue between control and spontaneity that only a complex surface can offer....

Artist Spotlight: Rose daRosa

What is the most interesting thing you’ve painted and why? Rose daRosa: When I got laid off, I was elated. Not because I could afford...
Nancy painting en pleir

Artist Spotlight: Nancy Tankersley

How do you describe success? Nancy Tankersley: For me, success is being able to express myself in a visual language that enables me to share...
Artist Nancy Silvia plein air painting

Nancy Silvia’s Lifelong Journey in Plein Air Painting

Despite my years of experience, I feel that I’m continuing to learn things about painting and working outdoors. In general, my process benefits from ...
photo of artist with her work in a gallery

Artist Spotlight: Laurel Daniel

How do you find inspiration? Laurel Daniel: Inspiration is everywhere. Finding it is a matter putting on my “art eyes” and being intentional about recognizing...

Artist Spotlight: Lee MacLeod

How do you find inspiration? Lee MacLeod: It is easy to find inspiration here in New Mexico as a landscape painter. We have four distinct...
Melanie painting in winter scene

Artist Spotlight: Melanie Levitt

What is the best thing about being an artist? Melanie Levitt: The best thing about being a plein air painter is being able to connect...
Edouard Manet, "The Monet Family in Their Garden at Argenteuil," 1874, oil on canvas, 24 x 39 1/4 in., The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Bequest of Joan Whitney Payson, 1975

An Edouard Manet Moment: The Monet Family in Their Garden at Argenteuil

After years of concentrating on dark-toned Spanish-influenced paintings, Edouard Manet had come to embrace his young friends’ practice of ...

Artist Spotlight: Cynthia Inson

What is the best thing about being an artist? Cynthia Inson: The best thing about being an artist is the journey of learning, analysis, decision...

Artist Spotlight: Michael Gault

How did you get started and then develop your career? Michael Gault: I can’t remember NOT wanting to be an artist. I didn’t always know...
Painting with acrylics en plein air

The “Big Challenge” of Switching to Plein Air

“I’m not trying to build up a collection of paintings to sell to a gallery. The reason I paint is because it drives me, as an artist and as a human being, to be in nature,” says artist Sarah Burns.
Art History - Peter De Wint, "Waterfall in the Dingle at Badger Hall," c. 1841, watercolor on wove paper, 20 1/4 x 27 1/8 in., National Gallery of Art; Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund

A Moment in Art History: Waterfall in the Dingle at Badger Hall

Intended to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a physician, Peter De Wint instead pursued his love of art ...
Hector Acuna, "Spring Hedges in Umber and Yellow," 2023, oil on panel, 6 x 9 in., private collection, plein air painting

The Art of Intent: Hector Acuna’s Bold Experiments in Plein Air Painting

Discover the captivating world of Hector Acuna's plein air painting, where bold compositions, vibrant experimentation, and innovative perspectives bring landscapes and urban scenes to life.
artist painting on the beach

Artist Spotlight: Lon Brauer

How did you develop your unique style? Lon Brauer: Painting is a journey on a winding path. No one can seek a personal style. Rather,...
artist painting outdoors, by the Missouri river

Artist Spotlight: Farley Lewis

How did you get started and then develop your career? Farley Lewis: My art career began around age 20, shocked and thrilled that someone actually...
Plein air painter Xandra Squire

Why Xandra Squier Loves Extra Drama

Be inspired by Kelly Kane's spotlight on the up-and-coming plein air painter Xandra Squier, who shares her Aha moment, and much more. 
Emma Kalff, painting en plein air

Destroy It, Make It Better

Be inspired by Kelly Kane's spotlight on the up-and-coming plein air painter Emma Kalff:
Bryce Elischer artist

A Plein Air Artist to Watch: Bryce Elischer

Be inspired by Kelly Kane’s spotlight on the up-and-coming plein air painter Bryce Elischer, who shares his favorite subjects and more.
photo of artist painting

Artist Spotlight: David Lussier

How did you develop your unique style? David Lussier: I was trained to paint in the style of photo realism during my 4 years of...
photo of artist painting en plein air in the desert landscape

Artist Spotlight: Karen Halbert

How did you get started and then develop your career? Karen Halbert: On 9/11, faced with the magnitude of the catastrophe, I had to make...