14 Inspirational Landscape Paintings

Kelly Kane, Editor-in-Chief, PleinAir Magazine

Landscape painting inspiration - OutdoorPainter.com — Nanette Biers, “Cloaked in Mist and Spray,” 2013, oil, 18 x 24 in. Private collection, Studio

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Ask any plein air painter what attracts them to a particular scene, and more often than not, light is the answer. So what happens when an artist is faced with a landscape endowed with especially dramatic effects — a spectacularly colored sky reflected in the water below, a mysterious moonlit alleyway, or a tree-lined sidewalk brought to life by the play of dappled light? The landscape paintings showcased here give us a glimpse of the magic that can be achieved.

Peter Campbell, “The Neighbor’s Barn,” 2018, oil, 11 x 14 in. Collection the artist, Plein air

Stacey Peterson, “Last Light, Cathedral Group,” 2019, oil, 30 x 30 in. Collection the artist, Studio from plein air studies

Susan Lynn, “First Light,” 2018, watercolor, 11 x 14 in. Collection the artist, Plein air

“I painted this piece while participating in the Borrego Plein Air Invitational in the Anzo-Borrego Desert in California,” says Susan Lynn. “The first moments of sunrise lit up the Santa Rosa Mountains with striking reds, oranges, and purples, in sharp contrast to the still-shaded desert floor. The brilliant color, however, only lasted about 20 to 30 minutes, so even this small watercolor required two painting sessions for me to capture the glow.”

Nancie King Mertz, “Michigan Sunset,” 2019, pastel, 30 x 29 in. Private collection, Studio

Bill Farnsworth, “Cheers ,” 2018, oil, 14 x 18 in. Private collection, Plein air

“This piece won Best in Show at the 2018 Cashiers Plein Air Festival,” says Bill Farnsworth. “I was heading down a switchback mountain road when I saw this 1840s barn on a curve just off the road. I couldn’t stop in time, so I drove down a mile and turned where I could (not an easy thing to do on a mountain road). This was my third painting of the day, and although I was tired, the scene energized me.”

Brienne M. Brown, “Loss, But Not Gone,” 2019, watercolor, 12 x 20 in. Private collection, Plein air

Dan Graziano, “South Pasadena Library,” 2011, oil, 8 x 10 in. Collection the artist, Plein air

Susan Nicholas Gephart, “Tranquil Sunset,” 2018, pastel, 16 x 12 in. Collection the artist, Plein air

“’Tranquil Sunset’ was created on location after a splendid day kayaking at the lake,” says Susan Nicholas Gephart. “The tranquil memories of floating intertwined with pastel painting — truly a plein air experience.”

Dan Schultz, “Cool Evening,” 2019, oil, 24 x 30 in. Collection the artist, Studio

Philippe Gandiol, “Sunburst,” 2019, oil, 24 x 30 in. Collection the artist, Studio

Linda Glover Gooch, “Thunderboomer,” 2017, oil, 8 x 10 in. Private collection, Plein air

Victor Schiro, “Hungry Valley,” year unknown, oil, 24 x 30 in. Collection the artist, Studio from plein air studies

Susan M. Rose, “Ongoing,” 2019, oil, 11 x 14 in. Collection the artist, Plein air

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