The Plein Air Study That Launched a Big Winner
One plein air painting inspired several exceptional studio pieces by this California pastelist, a previous winner in the PleinAir Salon.
Artist Spotlight: Krystal W. Brown
As Krystal states, “Someone is waiting for what you will bring to the world. Why keep them waiting?” Find out what legacy she’d choose to leave with her art.
Not Idle in Winter: Stewart White and Plein Air Watercolor
On plein air watercolor >
Baltimore painter and PleinAir Salon Grand Prize winner Stewart White tells us what he does in the winter to keep...
My Favorite Place to Paint: Carol Smith Myer
It's called Rush Creek, but it's more of a wetlands area, with an estimated 196 species of birds enjoying the nature preserve's 522 acres...
Artist Spotlight: Cynthia Rosen
Cynthia Rosen finds as an artist, she is on an interesting, never-ending journey with inspirations and discoveries around the next bend.
A Plein Air Artist on the Fringe
Take a closer look at a nineteenth-century oil painting by Martin Johnson Heade...
Paintings That “Feel” Like Landscapes
By almost completely abstracting the landscape, Scott Gellatly distills the experience of nature to its essence, and, perhaps more important, he ...
Derived From Life: The Paintings of PleinAir Salon Winner Eric Bowman
Even if an Eric Bowman piece is done in the studio, it is utterly informed by his work outdoors.
Rex Brandt (1914-2000), California Scene Painter
As a plein air artist, you are part of one of the largest art movements in history. Learn about "California Scene Painter" Rex Brandt here.
A Quick Response to Nature
Rediscovered more than 25 years ago, this small plein air oil sketch shed light on a little-known aspect of ...
Plein Air Heritage: Science Needs Art
Starting in the late 1880s, many natural history museums established a practice of showcasing animals in dioramas that would allow visitors to see the specimens in an exact location rather than a generic scene. Meet a master who painted those dioramas from plein air sketches.
Painting With Your Entire Body
Ryan Jensen fills 9-foot paintings with landscapes done on location. Here are the challenges, how and why he does it, and how being a Marine has informed his path as a professional artist.
Painting the Beautiful Truth of Appalachia
Appalachia. For those who live in the region, it is a place of beautiful mountains, quintessentially American scenes, and, yes, a potentially hardscrabble existence....
Spotlight on PACE Faculty: Ray Hassard and Painting Near and Far
Ray Hassard, a featured instructor at the upcoming Plein Air Convention & Expo (PACE) slated for April 24-28 in San Diego, has traveled widely ... and painted locally. One of his guiding lights is a provocative quote from John Constable.
Artist Spotlight: Tanvi Pathare
How did you get started and then develop your career?
Tanvi Pathare: I began at a young age, as I was curious to draw nature....
Love of Plein Air, and Citroën Cars
Susan Kendall is both an outdoor painter and a car enthusiast. See how her passions crossed paths, resulting in 8 x 20-foot backdrops for a classic car show.
The 25-Year-Old Who Launched the French Plein Air Artist Tradition
This British artist represented an important bridge between English and French landscape painting, inspiring such icons as ...
Anatomy of an Award Winner: Nancy Tankersley at the Lighthouse ArtCenter Event
When Nancy Tankersley saw this scene, she felt like it captured the feel of Florida. The judge at the Lighthouse ArtCenter Plein Air Festival agreed.
Jerry Balcom and The Visual Delights of Plein Air
Washington state plein air artist Jerry Balcom uses compositional devices, edge control, and color intensities to bring viewers into his pastel paintings. These techniques allow him to share the emotions he felt while working on location.
Should You Plan Your Plein Air Painting?
Plein air watercolor artist Stewart White has a background in illustration and design, which shows in his paintings and his teachings. The following is his Q&A on the benefits of travel for artists, the use of edges in a painting, and thoughts on planning a plein air piece.