Ken Karlic, featured in the PleinAir Magazine article “Sophisticated Chaos” (Dec '21 / Jan '22 issue). Photo by Leah Wells
Ken Karlic, featured in the PleinAir Magazine article “Sophisticated Chaos” (Dec '21 / Jan '22 issue). Photo by Leah Wells
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Preview the newest issue of Plein Air Magazine with Kelly Kane’s Editor’s Letter.

And Here’s to the Next 10

In 2011, we saw the rise of Adele, the end of the Oprah show, and the royal wedding of William and Kate. Launched the year before, Instagram was becoming a powerful new art marketing tool, and interest in plein air painting was on the rise. A growing number of outdoor painting events were popping up in communities around the country, and Plein Air Magazine was relaunched, with Steve Doherty as its new editor.

Plein Air Magazine Dec21 cover
The cover of our December / January issue of Plein Air Magazine; art by Chris Morel (Click here to buy the digital version now)

Throughout the year, we’ve been celebrating the 10th anniversary of this milestone event, with stories about the practice of outdoor painting around the world, emerging artists to add to your collections now, and the history of plein air. As one final hurrah, we pored through the archives and selected 10 plein air paintings for this issue that we think showcase the best the magazine has published over the past decade.

It’s impressive and inspiring to see how the caliber of work has remained at a high level. Today, painters like Chris Morel and Mary Monk draw on the rich artistic traditions of landscape painting that have come before, putting their own unique spins on style and choice of subject matter. In the work of Ken Karlic, we appreciate the same skill and quest for excellence, even as he challenges our expectations and pushes plein air painting into new territory. All three are featured in this issue, and all contribute an important chapter to the story of plein air.

In this issue, we also celebrate the return — some to blockbuster success — of so many of our favorite plein air events. Overcoming the obstacles presented by COVID-19 restrictions in 2020 and beyond is a testament to the creativity and commitment of the organizers, and the support of the collectors and communities in which the events are held. I suspect we’ll still be talking about these comeback stories in the next anniversary issue. But not without your help and continued participation.

With the new year nearly upon is, it’s a great time for each of us to think about how we’ll indulge our passion for plein air painting. Whether you’re a painter contemplating a workshop, a ticket to the Plein Air Convention & Expo, or a painting trip to find new inspiration; or a collector thinking about adding a new piece to your walls or attending a local or faraway plein air event to find new talent or connect with a favorite artist, we should all be looking for ways to further our own interests and those of others in the community who need our support.

Grab your 2022 calendar and turn to The Ultimate Artists’ & Collectors’ Guide to Plein Air Events & Organizations in this issue. Find one (or more!) events happening next year, and make a date to attend. I promise you won’t regret it, and it’s one of the surest ways to make certain we’ll all be celebrating our love of plein air painting — and all the events, shows, and magazine stories that go with it — in another 10 years.

Plein Air Magazine, December 2021 / January 2022
Table of Contents:

Plein Air Magazine Dec21 contents

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