Plein Air Watercolor > Working from both direct observation and memory, Alabama artist Iain Stewart believes it is more important to express how he views the world rather than how it might actually appear. Painting What I Choose to See “Good paintings teach a watercolorist very little,” says Iain Stewart. “It’s the bad paintings that instruct me how to improve my work because I have to look critically at them to identify the reasons they failed. Too many artists focus on creating masterpieces, and they are crushed when they are not successful. In my experience as a painter and teacher, ple ..read more

Congratulations to the incredible artists of the 12th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition from PleinAir Magazine! Cheers to all the winners and runner-ups! A standing ovation for Kimball Geisler, the Grand Prize winner! Kimball’s painting, “Tower of Towers” was the big winner. Bravo on this well-deserved achievement! This year was truly a global celebration of art with over 10,000 paintings entered from nearly 4,000 artists from 65 countries, including Israel, Turkey, Ukraine, Czechoslovakia, and Vietnam. The awards were announced live on stage at the 10th Annual Plein Air Convention & ..read more

When it comes to painting the landscape, there are many common mistakes that artists – especially new plein air painters – make. Here, Suzie Baker, Paul Kratter, and Michael Chesley Johnson share what they’ve seen over the years, and how you can avoid similar blunders. Bonus! Answer the question below by commenting on this blog post for a chance to win the “Modern Color Set” from Williamsburg Oil Paints from Golden Artist Colors! Remember to Keep It Simple When Painting the Landscape “Plein air painting can be hard, even for accomplished studio and figurative painters,” says Suzie Baker. “One ..read more

Surrounded by the sights, sounds, and smells of nature, California artist Kim Lordier balances light and dark to create dynamic pastel painting compositions. Article by Robert K. Carsten Kim Lordier, “Rabbitbrush in Shadow, June Lake Loop,” 2018, pastel, 10 x 8 in., Collection the artist, Plein air There’s nothing in the world like plein air painting!” says Kim Lordier (kimfancherlordier.com). “I cherish those experiences I have when I’m standing in front of nature and reacting to what I’m seeing. Just being outside and feeling the power of Mother Nature is my greatest inspiration. Since I li ..read more

Preview the newest issue of PleinAir Magazine with the Editor’s Letter: Where Inspiration Strikes It’s easy to see why painters flock to sites like the Grand Canyon or the Adirondacks, where the views are endless and grandiose. But for the inexperienced, those scenes can be overwhelming, the vastness more of a burden than an advantage. Fortunately, inspiring views can often be found right under our noses. In this issue, watercolor artist Iain Stewart takes us down the back roads of east-central Alabama, introducing us to the landscapes he grew up with and is now rediscovering. The paintings ..read more

Plein Air Paintings on View: “Two Perspectives” Karen Leoni and Maria SantoStefano are the Featured Artists at Benicia Plein Air Gallery (California) from June 2-25, 2023, and will present new works showcasing California landscapes. Visitors and friends, stop by to meet the artists! Karen will host on June 11, 16, and 25; and Maria will host on June 9, 10, and 24. Maria SantoStefano, “Late Bloomers, Moraga,” oil, 16 x 12 in. Become a better outdoor painter today when you get the FREE e-Book for artists, “240 Plein Air Painting Tips.” [click here] And browse more free articles here at OutdoorP ..read more

Take advantage of these art and plein air painting events and opportunities from our 2023 Ultimate Guide to Painting Events and Organizations. (We want to include your plein air painting events! Don’t see your group listed here? Contact our marketing team to learn how to advertise your plein air painting events and more with Plein Air Today.) Colorado 20th Annual Telluride Plein Air Dates: June 28-July 4, 2023 Sponsoring Organization: Sheridan Arts Foundation Venue: Sheridan Opera House, Telluride Format: Juried Award Total: $15,000 Contact: Ronnie Palamar E-Mail: ronnie@sheridanoperahouse.co ..read more

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 Diann Kincaid. “My favorite place to paint is in the Fruit Orchards of Cashmere, Washington. The air is sweet, the land is lush with foliage, and the sun sweeps through the day with beautiful beams of colored light from dawn until dusk!” ~ Diann Kincaid Do you have a plein air story to share with the community? Email us at onlinearteditor@streamlinepublishing.com with three to five images and captions, and a few parag ..read more

As we all know, the weather doesn’t always cooperate with our plein air painting plans. We experienced this yesterday on the third paint-out of the Plein Air Convention & Expo (PACE). As we boarded the busses to visit the Garden of the Gods, the thunder was so loud that it was setting off car alarms. Spirits were high as we boarded the busses, despite the thunderous rain. Once on board, however, we enjoyed a relaxing ride to the park, where the dark contrast of the sky illuminated the red rocks and the clouds would give us stunning glimpses of Pike’s Peak. The view of Pike’s Peak from the ..read more

How did you develop your unique style and why? Carole Belliveau: I put away my brushes determined to teach myself to use new tools such as palette knife, scrapers, mediums and new colors to describe the high desert. I changed many of my paints to transparent ones, determined to build paintings that had levels of light filled darks building to opaque impastos. I wanted to lose my edges and paint more freely with color notes. Changing my approach to paint application became a personal expression of my enthusiastic love of painting here. How do you find inspiration? Carole Belliveau: The state i ..read more