If you have an idea for PleinAir Magazine or the Plein Air Today newsletter, please follow these guidelines.
PleinAir Magazine Writer’s Guidelines
About PleinAir Magazine
A bi-monthly publication, PleinAir Magazine celebrates the best of outdoor painting by offering unique access to the world’s finest plein air painters and their work. We connect artists and collectors who share an appreciation for the effects of natural light on the landscape, figure, and still life. We honor the history and tradition of sketching and painting outside and promote its benefits to artists who paint in all genres and mediums, regardless of skill level, as a way to create an immediate and honest response to a subject — whether that’s by finishing a painting 100 percent in the field, starting a piece that gets fine-tuned off-site, or by making sketches and studies on location that remind the artist of the experience back in the studio. We seek to inspire and engage with information about the events, exhibitions, materials, talent, and spectacular artwork that define plein air painting today.
Tone and Style
Our tone is conversational yet authoritative. Our readership of collectors, art enthusiasts, and artists of all skill levels expect us to explain concepts clearly and avoid overly academic language. Magazine articles range between 800 and 2,000 words, depending on the topic.
What We’re Looking For
We consider completed manuscripts on spec but much prefer original queries on topics relevant to plein air painters and collectors, including but not limited to:
• Artist interviews
• Technical articles on plein air techniques, materials, and processes
• Event coverage and reports from plein air festivals and competitions
• Historical perspectives on plein air painting and its practitioners
• Art business topics, such as marketing, selling, and branding for plein air artists
• Previews of exhibitions related to plein air painting
• Accounts of plein air painting trips and unique painting locations
How to Submit to PleinAir Magazine
It’s important to be familiar with the magazine’s content and style before submitting a query. Sample copies can be ordered by visiting our online store at https://painttube.tv/collections/magazine-single-issues.
• Queries: Send a brief pitch (2-3 paragraphs) outlining your proposed article, its relevance to our audience, and any credentials or writing samples. Art is the star in PleinAir Magazine, so include 6-8 examples of paintings or other relevant images.
• Completed articles: If submitting a full draft, please include a short bio (20-30 words) and all relevant images. Hi-res images (300 dpi and roughly 2400 x 3600 pixels per inch) and captions must be available upon request.
Send pitches and article ideas to [email protected] with the subject line: “Submission: [the subject of your proposal].”
Allow 4-6 weeks for a response.
Plein Air Today Writer’s Guidelines
It’s important to be familiar with the newsletter’s content and style before submitting a query. Sign up for the Plein Air Today newsletter at www.outdoorpainter.com/plein-air-today-newsletter.
• Submissions: Send 500-700 words of otherwise unpublished text (think tips, painting or drawing techniques, how-to, etc., something that others can learn or benefit from knowing), or highlights of your event (what makes it unique?)
• 5-7 images (approx. 3000 pixels high/wide, less than 1mb if possible)
• A caption for each image (for paintings, include the title, size, and media; all artwork must be yours or you must have permissions)
• Your website address
Send Plein Air Today pitches and article ideas to Cherie Dawn Haas at [email protected] with the subject line: “Plein Air Today Submission: [the subject of your proposal].”
Because of the number of submissions we receive, we cannot guarantee that unsolicited content will be published. You will receive a response from us either way, however, because we appreciate your interest in being a part of the PleinAir community. If you’re unsure if your article is a better fit for the magazine or newsletter, rest assured that the team shares submissions.
Hello!
I write about the arts for a variety of publications — and have two ideas that might be of interest. The Florence Griswold Museum is in the process of developing a $1 million trail on the property that will have stops that retrace the works of famous American Impressionist Artists who summered on the property 100 years ago. It will be finished this summer in time for the annual Old Lyme outdoor arts festival — a great extravaganza in a jewel box of a Connecticut town. I’m sure you have background on the Flo Gris–but this major expansion adds to a wonderful legacy.
And as a separate idea — the two homesteads, Olana, and Thomas Cole’s home will be united by bridge access this year — offering visitors to both places the opportunity to take in the views these artists painted, and to delve into the ideas that led to the development of so many Hudson River estates. Olana is Church’s great masterpiece, of course, but what is perhaps most remarkable is that many of the scenes that attracted him can still be experienced.
You can access a story I did on Church last year for Antiques &The Arts (online) as well as many other articles on the arts. I’ll hope to hear from you. Best wishes, Kristin Nord