We love to hear from the Plein Air Today community! The following is part of a series that spotlights an artist who loves painting outdoors. Today’s feature is on Marian Fortunati.
“I watched the ‘Gouache Live‘ day and thoroughly enjoyed it,” said PleinAir reader Marian Fortunati. “Afterwards, I practiced a bit at home and then bought my granddaughter a setup. When I had the opportunity to travel to visit her in Santa Barbara, we took our new gouache sets out for plein air painting. We went to the Douglas Family Preserve, which is on the mesa – high cliffs above the beach. I had painted there before (with my oils) and knew there were many areas with great views of the ocean cliffs, the many tall, graceful trees, and the distant hills further inland.
“I discovered that plein air painting with gouache offers a whole variety of different challenges than oil painting, but both of us had fun. The best part is that I think she’d like to try it again the next time I visit!”
NOTE! Gouache Bootcamp (February 19, 2026) is about rewiring how you see, think, and create as an artist while giving you a fresh sense of creative freedom, whether you’re picking up gouache for the first time or ready to explore! Maybe you’ve tried oils. Acrylic. Watercolor. But gouache is different. Learn why at GouacheBootcamp.com. (No tech skills? No problem! If you can click a link, you can join our event!)
Do you have a plein air story to share with the community? Email Cherie Dawn Haas, Editor for Plein Air Today, at [email protected] with three images and captions, and a few sentences about your funny, inspirational, educational, or extreme plein air adventures!
And browse more free articles here at OutdoorPainter.com
