PleinAir Magazine

11/12/2024

Want to learn how to paint with watercolor? In this guest blog post, Catherine Hillis shares what you need to do first to avoid frustration.

Catherine will be teaching Essential Skills and Special Effects on Tuesday, January 21, 2025 for Watercolor Live. You won't want to miss it! Grab your ticket at WatercolorLive.com.

The snowy road in the French countryside that I walked along many times: "Snowy Lane French Countryside" (watercolor, 10.5 x 14.5 in.)

10/12/2024

Enjoy this Artist Spotlight on Lon Brauer Studios!

No finer place than a morning paint on the beach!

08/12/2024

Preview the newest issue of PleinAir Magazine with the Editor’s Letter:

A growing body of evidence proves something the readers of PleinAir Magazine have long understood: Art makes us feel better. Whether we’re making it or simply looking at it, art can transform our biology by rewiring our brains and triggering the release of neurochemicals, hormones, and endorphins. In response, doctors, social workers, and other public health practitioners have started to prescribe art experiences as part of treating a wide array of conditions, including obesity, heart disease, chronic pain, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, loneliness, and depression.

One study showed that making art of any kind for just 45 minutes lowered the stress hormone cortisol by as much as 25 percent. Other research suggests that art making builds our executive function and decision-making skills, and that just one art experience per month can extend our lives by 10 years. Whether you like to collect art, make it, or simply enjoy looking at it, this is good news!

What happens when you drop a star-studded group of artists into the area around Lake Tahoe for a week of plein air painting? Find out in this issue of PleinAir Magazine.

07/12/2024

Check out John Hughes's pep talk on the value of field studies: OutdoorPainter.com/pep-talk-the-value-of-field-studies

06/12/2024

Discover the inspiring journey of Dawn Whitelaw Studio, who received the Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine Lifetime Achievement Award at Realism Live.

Artist Dawn Whitelaw painting en plein air

05/12/2024

"My first love is transparent watercolor on rag paper. But I realized some years ago that using watercolor on site takes not only practice but careful planning — especially to save the white of the paper for lighter values. My search for a more direct response when painting en plein air led me to acrylics. If I make a value or color mistake, I can wait five minutes for that passage to dry then paint over it to correct it. I mess up a lot, so acrylic painting is a good fit." ~ Mark Mehaffey Artist

Learn more at Outdoorpainter.com/acrylic-painting-over-watercolor

04/12/2024

Artist members of Plein Air Austin (PAA) have donated their paintings of 15 Austin fire stations to the Austin Fire Department.

Members of Plein Air Austin with the local firefighters

03/12/2024

Discover the beauty and artistry of plein air painting in the December/January 2025 issue of PleinAir Magazine.

ON THE COVER: Kathie Odom, “Sweet Caroline,” 2024, oil, 12 x 20 in., Private collection, Demo from 2024 Plein Air Convention & Expo

03/12/2024

Ned Mueller Artist has revealed his selections for the winners in the October 2024 PleinAir Salon Art Competition from PleinAir Magazine.

First Place: Kyle Ma, “Cathedral Wash,” Oil, 36×36 in.

01/12/2024

Be inspired by Kelly Kane's spotlight on the up-and-coming plein air painter Xandra Squier, who shares her Aha moment, and much more.

Plein air painter Xandra Squire

30/11/2024

The Avalon Foundation and the Talbot County Department of Economic Development and Tourism have won the Transactional Opportunities Award at the 2024 Maryland Tourism Awards, highlighting the success of the Plein Air Easton Competition and Arts Festival. Recognized during the 43rd Annual Maryland Tourism & Travel Summit, this accolade underscores the festival’s role in driving economic growth and enhancing Talbot County’s tourism appeal.

Plein Air Easton, the largest outdoor painting competition in the U.S., attracts 6,000–8,000 annual visitors with events like painting demonstrations, workshops, and artist meet-and-greet sessions. This has boosted local hospitality, dining, and retail sectors by over 30%. Cassandra Vanhooser, director of Talbot County Economic Development and Tourism, credited the award to the community’s collaborative efforts in elevating Easton as a cultural destination.

More information about Plein Air Easton is available at pleinaireaston.com.

29/11/2024

Exciting news! PaintTube Art Instruction by Streamline's Black Friday SALE begins today! Shop here: https://loom.ly/XYqicxE

28/11/2024

Artist Spotlight: Farley Lewis Art

How did you get started and then develop your career?

Farley Lewis: My art career began around age 20, shocked and thrilled that someone actually wanted to pay me to paint their baptistry wall – a mural of a local river scene.

Starting college, they told me “You can’t make a living as an artist,” but after my first year as a reluctant business major, I decided to prove them wrong, or die trying. So, I switched majors. After graduating I started a sign shop and design studio, which included paintings, illustrations, and murals. It’s amazing what you can do when you don’t know what you’re doing. Over the next two decades I painted murals in Canada, Mexico, Africa, the Middle East, and all over the United States.

I did other work, including 20 years as a pastor, which I liked, but missed working with my hands and creating. In January of 2018 I returned to the art world fulltime, doing what I had always wanted to do: capture on canvas the beauty that stirs my heart awake, and share it with the world. That’s what I do now; through paintings, workshops, and training videos.

To see more of Farley’s work, visit FarleyLewis.com.

28/11/2024

"Permanent, non-yellowing, and fast-drying, acrylics have low toxicity and no need of solvents for dilution or glazing." ~ Rick J. Delanty Fine Art

Rick J. Delanty, "June Sunlight," 2019, acrylic, 16 x 20 in., Collection the artist, Studio based on plein air study

28/11/2024

The awards for the 14th Annual October 2024 PleinAir Salon Art Competition are announced, featuring selections made by judge, Master Artist, Ned Mueller.

27/11/2024

Be inspired by Kelly Kane’s spotlight on the up-and-coming plein air painter Bryce Elischer, who shares his favorite subjects and more.

24/11/2024

Discover the insights of Alvaro Castagnet in this episode of the Plein Air Podcast with Eric Rhoads, Publisher , in which they discuss how to find your voice, embracing community, and infusing emotion into your work.

A rare glimpse into the painting process of Alvaro Castagnet, as seen during a previous Watercolor Live.