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!

plein air watercolor painting of houses

Better With Time

Elements of wear and tear in Mat Barber Kennedy’s textural watercolors show signs of life and how we live it.

Artist Spotlight: Sandhya Sharma

How did you get started and then develop your career? Sandhya Sharma: I had always drawn and painted as a child. Summer vacations were spent...
artist Jennifer reifenberg out in the field, and below, image of "power of gray"

Artist Spotlight: Jennifer Riefenberg

How do you find inspiration? Jennifer Riefenberg: It is with an intimate understanding and a closer-in vantage that artist, Jennifer Riefenberg, seeks in portraying the...

My Favorite Place to Paint: Jennifer L. Hoffman

Wyoming painter Jennifer L. Hoffman takes advantage of "artist's hours" to get a lot of work done in the winter months. Hoffman's setup at South...
Brian Stewart landscape painting

There From the Beginning: Brian Stewart and Plein Air

Brian Stewart was one of the participants in the early Catalina Island wet-paint shows that played a huge role in launching the contemporary plein air movement.

Artist as Collector: James Coe and the Mean Greens

New York State painter James Coe collects paintings that demonstrate good ways of tackling vexing painting problems — like presenting a variety of greens in a landscape.
Plein air painting - OutdoorPainter.com

Painting Outdoors Since 1948: A Community Member Spotlight

Recently, one of our dedicated readers reached out to us to say hello and connect, which is part of what the plein air community is all about. Meet John Killmaster, who kindly took the time to answer a few questions about his artistic journey so that you can be inspired in yours.
plein air landscape painting Carla Bosch - Back Bay

Q&A With Plein Air Painter Carla Bosch

Carla Bosch grew up in South Africa, where her eyes “were trained to find the beauty” around her. In these paintings, it shows.
Woman artist standing in front of her painting.

Artist Spotlight: Sandi Pillsbury

“Each painting tells a story, an experience, a moment in time. I strive to invite the viewer to come closer.”
painting landscapes - "Homeward" by Steve Curry

Little by Little

My story starts like most. As a kid I always drew and created, but I was lucky enough to have grown up in a family of artists...
Rebecca Arguello, "Carpinteria Bluffs 2," 2020, oil, 12 x 16 in., Available from artist, Plein air and studio

Today’s Inspiration: Expressive Realism

Contemporary plein air and studio painter Rebecca Arguello shares her inspiration, her biggest aha moment, and the art advice she wished she had heard earlier in her career. 
Claude Monet Peony Garden; plein air artists

Monet’s Anathema

As a plein air artist, you are part of one of the largest art movements in history. Learn about Claude Monet ...
Jessie with “Space”, oil, 24x60 in, in the public collection of the Edith Sanford Breast Center

Artist Spotlight: Jessie Rasche

How did you develop your unique style? Jessie Rasche: I’m teaching a workshop right now on how to find and develop your authentic artistic voice,...
Dawn Whitelaw, "Frozen," 30 x 40 in.

Not Idle in Winter: Dawn Whitelaw

We can't show one of the most interesting things Tennessee artist Dawn Whitelaw does in winter to make her plein air paintings better...

Spotlight on PACE Faculty: W. Truman Hosner and a Serious Plein Air Challenge

Plein air painting can be a challenge, but even changing light and other environmental conditions aren’t enough for some folks. Like W. Truman Hosner, a member of the Plein Air Convention & Expo (PACE) faculty, who ups the ante considerably with his subject matter.

See the Relationship Between Colors

Richard F. Lack taught students not to see colors in isolation, but rather to see them in relation to those surrounding them. What were his teaching methods?
Landscape painter Amery Bohling

Quotable Artist: Amery Bohling

Enjoy an inspirational quote from landscape painter Amery Bohling.
Chris Morel, painting outdoors

The 6 Steps to My Plein Air Painting Process

Be inspired by this outdoor painter, who shares his process for painting landscapes in the northeast and southwest. You might be surprised by what they have in common. (Includes a bonus interview video!)
Oil painting of a country road with a cloudy sky

Artist Spotlight: Lee MacLeod

Lee MacLeod started out in the art world as an illustrator working on movie posters, book covers and game art before turning his attention to fine art.
pastel painting - "Waves of Fireworks"

Pastel Live Artist Receives Eminent Pastelist Designation

Congratulations to this pastelist, whose main focus is painting landcapes both en plein air and in the studio.