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!

Painting landscapes en plein air

Vantage Points: Part 1

There is something elemental and powerful about responding directly to nature. Ken Knight shares his approach to plein air painting.
painting with gouache

Painting with Gouache: 7 Serene Examples

Mike Hernandez is an Art Director in the animation industry and a plein air artist who loves painting with gouache. Here, he shares seven of his landscapes along with inside info just for you.
Plein air painter - Mark Shasha, “Afternoon Serendipity,” Oil on canvas, 24" x 30"

The Most Honest Form of Painting

It's an exciting time to be an artist, especially a plein air painter. Find inspiration here with Mark Shasha.
artist posing for a picture while painting at the easel outside

Artist Spotlight: Manon Sander

How did you develop your unique style? Manon Sander: Taste in art is very personal. My style of choice is impressionism, as the expressive brushwork...
Artist Manon Sander with her oil painting at the Sedona Plein Air Festival

Artist Spotlight: Manon Sander

What is the best thing about being an artist? Manon Sander: Of course, there are the obvious perks, like having an outdoor office or occasionally...
Plein Air Magazine

Convention Preview: Kathryn Stats

Kathryn Stats: “One simply can’t be a good studio painter unless one paints directly from nature outdoors.” “Painting is an adventure that sometimes rewards and...
plein air painting at a campsite

A Day in the Life of … Mary Garrish

What's it like to be a pro artist who lives and works from an RV? Mary Garrish takes us a day-in-the-life plein air painting tour to find out.
photo of artist taking selfie with painting

Artist Spotlight: Justin Vining

How do you find inspiration? Justin Vining: I have lived as a full-time painter for nearly 13 years. Initially a studio painter, I transitioned to...
Artist Cynthia Rosen painting outside in snowy Vermont.

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.

Spotlight on PACE Faculty: Elizabeth Mowry

Master pastelist Elizabeth Mowry will be on stage at the Plein Air Convention & Expo (PACE) in Monterey, California, in April, but she won't...
Painting outdoors - San Francisco

My Favorite Place to Paint: Bruce Katz

Nine years ago, California artist Bruce Katz was featured in a Plein Air Today series called “My Favorite Place to Paint.” Back then, it was the countryside outside of San Francisco. We followed up with him to see if - or how - his locale preference has changed.
Artist posing with her paintings

Artist Spotlight: Cynthia Inson

How do you describe success? Cynthia Inson: I describe and realize success as an artist to be related directly to me setting goals, reaching those...
Landscape painter Amery Bohling

Quotable Artist: Amery Bohling

Enjoy an inspirational quote from landscape painter Amery Bohling.

A Delicate Vision That Came to Pass

Nancy Boren’s oil painting “Cimarron Solstice” won second place in the 6th annual PleinAir Salon art competition. Read about her inspiration for the work, and learn how she created the scene, which exudes both grace and whimsy.

Convention Preview: Find Spiritual & Personal Support

During her presentation at the Plein Air Convention & Expo, Tennessee artist Kathie Odom will reveal that she has been fortunate to find spiritual and personal support as her career skyrocketed to higher levels. What will she recommend to artists in Santa Fe?
C.W. Mundy, “Emily At The Beach,” 2006, Oil on linen, 36 × 24 in.

Passion and Desire: Foundations of the Artistic Process

An interview with artist C.W. Mundy; The following is part of a series featuring a leader in the art community who will be joining us on the faculty of Realism Live, November 9-11, 2023.

Anatomy of an Award Winner: Mary Monk

No sun? No problem for Mary Monk. Overcast days at the Shadows-on-the-Teche Plein Air Competition did not deter the Louisiana oil painter.

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....
Brian Sindler, "Ephraim Yacht Club," 2013, acrylic on board, 6 x 6 in., Primitive (Chicago)

Brian Sindler’s Full-Spectrum Stylistic Evolution

There is a lot of superb art being made these days; here, writer Allison Malafronte shines light on a gifted individual. Based in Northbrook, Illinois, Brian Sindler creates both plein air and studio landscapes.
Landscape oil painting techniques

Artist Spotlight: Landscape Oil Painting with Karl Dempwolf

Today we welcome artist Karl Dempwolf as our guest with an exclusive Q&A about painting en plein air, his color palette, and his advice for those new to painting with oil.