In this episode, Eric Rhoads interviews plein air painter Joe Paquet, who is leading a special session titled  “A Beautiful Beginning: The Art of the Start” this year at the Plein Air Convention & Expo. Watch & listen as they discuss: – Finding one’s artistic voice through organic or adopted methods – Artistic influence, style, and authenticity – Art foundations, principles, and passion – Art principles, skill-building, and creativity – Artistic choices and techniques in painting, including color transition and subjective voice – Historic masters George Bellows and Winslow Homer ..read more

A Plein Air Today Reader Spotlight on Theresa Kasun “I grew up going to Omaha Stormchaser triple-A games with my dad. All four of my brothers played Little League and when I became a mom my boys played baseball on our local Little League teams. One of my sons went on to play for 11 years and during the last 3 seasons, I brought my French easel and painted at his games. I couldn’t just sit there for several hours and not capture the beautiful colors surrounding the fields and the symmetry of boys all dressed alike standing in a row. “I lived in the borough of Queens for 15 years, and as a die ..read more

Award-winning artist T. Allen Lawson has revealed his selections for the winners in the March 2024 PleinAir Salon. First place will receive a cash prize, plus all winners will be entered into the judging for the annual cash prizes, including the $15,000 grand prize for the best painting of the year, and they’ll see their painting on the cover of PleinAir® Magazine. Could you be the next winner? “For painters and artists thinking of entering a competition or a public exhibition, my advice would be to paint what interests you,” Lawson advises. “Pay no attention to what you may think the judges ..read more

San Francisco-based artist Tom Colcord approaches his plein air painting with a unique mindset. When asked what he means by “the flow,” he references hip hop, a style of music that values how a rapper moves through and on a melody flowing over the propulsive beats of a song. Often the words of a rap song are less important than the syncopation of the vocal performance; it’s the delivery, not so much the lyrical content. “I want a flow of a space that keeps you engaged,” Tom says. “With a good flow, you don’t think about the subject matter. When rap has good flow, it’s a rollercoaster ride on ..read more

We’re only a short while away from the incredible Publisher’s Invitational art retreat in the Adirondack Mountains, so if you plan on being there, now’s the time to start making plans. If you’re on the fence about coming, here are just a few great reasons to join us: Paint all day, every day, without any distractions. You’ll be surprised at how much art you’ll create. You can complete two, three, or even four paintings a day! By the end of the week, you’ll see a significant improvement in the quality of your work. We never run out of things to paint in the Adirondacks. From gorgeous waterfal ..read more

How did you develop your unique style? Jessie Rache: I’m teaching a workshop right now on how to find and develop your authentic artistic voice, so I’ve been thinking about this a lot! Finding your true and authentic style can be done through intentional or guided self-reflection on at least a couple elements of style (subject matter, composition, color, drawing style, paint handling, etc.). Personally, I paint life. I love animals and people and nature and feel a spiritual connection to them. So, I honor them through my work. My style is very gestural. I love gestural lines in my work and se ..read more

Loosen Up Your Brushwork with Half-Hour Drills Do you ever wish that your brushwork was more spontaneous and free-flowing? I’ve sometimes heard other artists, along with many of my workshop students lament that they wish they could quit being so tight with their brushwork. On the other side of the spectrum, I’ve heard a different type of comment, typically by non-artists who have ‘an aunt or uncle who is so talented, that when they paint an animal, you can see every hair on the little critter’s back.’ The implication is usually that they have an artistic genius in the family and I should be im ..read more

Watch an inspiring video interview with Joe Paquet, who describes his upcoming Pre-Convention Workshop “A Beautiful Beginning,” coming soon to the Plein Air Convention (PACE). . “I took a one-day workshop with Joe and it seriously changed my artistic life. A big re-set.” ~ @sevresblue Many artists — especially those trying their hand at oil painting — face a common challenge: the dreaded ‘ugly’ stage. It’s a familiar cycle. You work tirelessly on a piece that just doesn’t seem to come together as you had hoped. In frustration, you eventually shelve it. Weeks or even months pass… When you fin ..read more

By Katherine Jennings, Contributing Writer This year our 11th annual Plein Air Convention & Expo (PACE) will be held in the eastern United States in the historic town of Cherokee, North Carolina. Home to a 57,000-acre Cherokee Indian reservation, this charming town offers a unique glimpse into the past with its replica of an 18th-century Oconaluftee Indian village. There is a plethora of opportunities for the plein air artist in this region: alluring mountain vistas, picturesque Great Smoky Mountains National Park, scenic Blue Ridge Parkway, and nearby mineral hot springs. Cross the famou ..read more

As a plein air artist, you are part of one of the largest art movements in history. Learn about those who have helped start this movement in some way, and be inspired to continue your own journey of landscape painting. For even more inspiration, subscribe to PleinAir® Magazine. Our Plein Air Heritage A devout Calvinist, Alexandre Calame (Swiss, 1810–1864) saw the large-scale, dramatic Alpine scenes he was known for as expressions of the divine. At their core, however, the paintings demonstrate the artist’s deep natural connection to the land. As a committed member of the Düsseldorf schoo ..read more