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!

Alvaro Castagnet watercolor artist

Alvaro Castagnet Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

Congratulations to watercolor master Alvaro Castagnet, who received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 7th Annual Plein Air Convention & Expo.
Tim Kelly during the filming of his Today Show segment

The Artist Behind the Wheel of a Semi-Trailer

Although you’ll find him behind the wheel of a semi-truck for much of the week, Tim Kelly will be the first to tell you, "I'm a painter that drives a truck."

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.
Painting with pastels - Molly Lipsher, "Brilliant Lineup," 2014, pastel, 6 x 24 in., private collection, plein air

Adventures in Pure Color with Pastels

Molly Lipsher finds pastel the perfect medium for capturing the light, colors, and textures of the Western landscape.
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.
Artist at work

Artist Spotlight: Barb Walker

How do you find inspiration? Barb Walker: This sounds like an easy question to answer, right? There is a saying among painters: “anything in good...
PleinAir Salon art competitions - Kim Lordier pastel paintings

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.

My Favorite Place to Paint: Mark Mehaffey

"Something should be most of a painting." That's what Mark Mehaffey says, and he says that while considering the landscape around his home in...

My Favorite Place to Paint: Bill Guffey

Bill Guffey's favorite place to paint is man-made, but it's wild and natural. It's in farm country, but it's public property. It's scenic in...
photo of artist actively painting at raceway

Artist Spotlight: Justin Vining

What is the most interesting thing you have painted? Justin Vining: As a plein air painter, I have found myself in a lot of interesting...

Spotlight on PACE Faculty: Karl Dempwolf

Karl Dempwolf is a key figure in California plein air painting, so much so that PleinAir magazine publisher Eric Rhoads will present Dempwolf with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Plein Air Convention & Expo (PACE) in April. That’s one of the reasons Dempwolf will be there in San Diego. But why else?
Pastel painting of clouds over a mountain and desert landscape

Artist Spotlight: Nancy Silvia

For pastel artist Nancy Silvia, she doesn’t consider what she does a “career,” but her life’s journey.
Male artist painting outdoors near a body of water

Artist Spotlight: Robert Green

Robert Green is a painter of the Alaskan Adventure. The day after he retired, he launched his "retirement career" as an artist.
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...
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...
art history plein air paintiner Thomas Fearnley

Plein Air Heritage: Thomas Fearnley (1802-1842)

As a plein air painter, you are part of one of the largest art movements in history. Learn about historic artist Thomas Fearnley, who alternated between large, composed landscapes meant for exhibition and smaller, plein air oil sketches.

Early Influences: Robert Masla

In this occasional series, we talk to plein air artists about a piece of art that inspired them when they were young. Our first...
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 Dreams: Artist Randall Graham on Cold Wax Medium

Randall Graham adds cold wax medium to his oil colors so he can brush, scrape, thicken, thin, and scumble layers of color and texture to create a dreamlike state. See how he works with the medium.
Plein air painting Uganda - Edak Young, "Nyanya," oil on canvas, 13 x 16 in.

Q&A With Nigerian Artist Edak Young

In a land where plein air painting is an unusual site, this artist is breaking multiple barriers.