What child doesn’t delight in the promise of a snow day? For some intrepid plein air painters, the thrill remains. After all, a good snowfall can turn even the most mundane landscape into something spectacular. Here, 17 artists share their views of a

In mid-October, 50 painters gathered at Eagle Mountain House, an early 20th-century hotel with stunning views of the mountains in Jackson, New Hampshire, for Fall Color Week with PleinAir Magazine publisher Eric Rhoads. Designed to provide artists th

Spanning 200 years of history, The River Flows: Watercolors of the American West (self-published) offers a visual and narrative timeline of the American West from the 1820s to the present. Marlin Rotach and Don Weller worked with 14 museums and five

In October, 32 artists arrived in San Angelo to participate in a fully in-person EnPleinAir Texas. Invited to paint to their hearts’ content throughout the weeklong event, the artists had access to 18 private farms and ranches. A special evening at

Depicting a road or path snaking into the background, or even just emphasizing diagonals that guide the eye, can create a sense of depth in a painting. But there are more sophisticated and challenging ways to show distance, some of which mimic the wa

Palette: From bottom left, Permalba white, titanium white, cadmium yellow pale, Indian yellow, Equity orange, yellow ochre, cadmium orange, brilliant pink, cadmium red medium, alizarin crimson, magenta, dioxazine violet, ultramarine blue, transparent

Judge of Awards for the Plein Air Artists Colorado 24th Annual event Frank LaLumia presented Best of Show to Jenifer Cline for Attendance; First Place Signature to Peggy Immel for Pink and Blue; First Place Associate to Scott Ruthven for Care Free Su

Northern California oil painter Philippe Gandiol is about as deeply rooted in impressionism as an American painter can be. He grew up visiting Giverny and Monet’s garden with his grandparents in France, and the influence of those visits shows up in h

Landscape painters from the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond gathered in Historic Ellicott City, Maryland, in mid-October to enjoy the fall weather as they competed for cash prizes during Paint It! Ellicott City 2020. This annual plein air paint-out pr

Affectionately referred to as “The Gray Lady” due to the fog that rolls in off the sea, the small triangular island of Nantucket lies 30 miles south of the Massachusetts Cape. I was invited by the Artists Association of Nantucket (AAN) to spend two w

Organizing events where people gather in groups has been a challenge in 2020, but the nature of painting outdoors has provided plein air events a unique opportunity. For this year’s Plein Air Grand Marais, the rules were changed so that participating

Philippe Gandiol favors one form of the arts but loves many. He writes poems on his canvases before painting a scene over them and enjoyed playing the soprano saxophone in days past. Today, he is a member of a jazz band in the Sacramento area named M

I am lucky to live in a place that has many beautiful sites to paint,” says Linda Mutti. “One scene that I return to over and over is Devereux Slough, a coastal preserve only 10 minutes from my home. It’s one of those special places where every direc

During the last decade of his life, John Henry Twachtman (American, 1853–1902) frequently painted views of the brook, falls, and pools surrounding his home in Greenwich, Connecticut. The work ranges from naturalistic representations to enlarged, simp

“When I settle on a subject to paint, the first thing I do is spend time taking it in,” says Philippe Gandiol. “I am wide open, letting my eyes travel through the scene, and my heart and soul get the mood of the moment. Then I decide on a title, in t

Though we’re all a little tired of hearing about the pandemic, and a little insecure about what happens next, I’m optimistic. There will be an end to it someday, and if for some odd reason there isn’t, we have to survive just the same. So what’s next

Aye, matey!” It wasn’t until I was older that I realized my tendency to close my left eye tightly on a bright day had prompted the occasional childhood taunt. My generation didn’t wear sunglasses as kids, so I was always battling sun glare with what

If you study art history, as I have, you’ll learn that evidence of plein air painting goes back a few hundred years. Over time, painters have been inspired to take brush and canvas outside. As a result, small plein air movements have arisen. The best

In a year filled with confusion and anxiety, we’ve also seen incredible displays of ingenuity. In early spring, when galleries had to close their doors and events and workshops were cancelled or postponed across the country, we all worried about how

With states implementing social distancing guidelines and travel restrictions in response to COVID-19, organizers across the country had to cancel, postpone, or pivot quickly to reimagine their 2020 plein air events. So what can artists, collectors,

California artist Greg LaRock passed away this October, two days after a rollerblading accident resulted in a traumatic brain injury. “The loss is both inexplicable and unimaginable,” says his wife, Laurie, but “his spirit lives on in those of us who

Q. Can water-mixables be used in combination with regular oil paints? I have so much paint already; it’s hard to imagine starting over entirely with all the colors I want to use. Also, is there a cost difference between water-mixable and regular oils

After determining the crop of her subject, Beth Bathe mixes a thin wash of raw umber (Cobra water-mixable oil) and water. She uses an old 1 1/2-inch chip brush to block in large masses on her prepared gesso board covered with a light coating of water