PleinAir Magazine

19/11/2025

Want a refresher course on the principles of value & color? John MacDonald has you covered in this breakdown! Check it out here: https://loom.ly/AGtb0AU

And for more inspiring stories & demos like this one, sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter here: https://loom.ly/qrnxVUo

19/11/2025

Keep your landscape painting compositions fresh and lively by applying the mantra “same same, bad bad.”

"When spoken aloud, “same same, bad bad” may sound silly, but it offers you a powerful way to evaluate your painting’s composition with little effort. I coined this axiom years ago, and once I began to share it with my students, it immediately improved their compositional skills."

Check out this free demo from Artist & PaintTube Art Instruction by Streamline instructor, Thomas Jefferson Kitts | Impressionism + Realism here: https://loom.ly/_FeKsHA

Keep your landscape painting compositions fresh and lively by applying the mantra “same same, bad bad.” A free demo from ...

15/11/2025

Tag along with plein air watercolor instructor Emily Olson as she guides you through Africa’s largest urban market, an ancient mountaintop fortress, and the sandy beaches of a popular beach resort, and introduces you to the people and cultural traditions of Morocco!

Check it out here: https://loom.ly/Ph6yb7U

Tag along with this popular plein air watercolor instructor as she guides you through Africa’s largest urban market, an ancient ...

10/11/2025

Last week, Plein Air Live brought together hundreds of artists from all over the world for an incredible three days of learning, painting, and inspiration 🌿🎨.

Day 3 was packed with amazing demos from artists like Kathleen B. Hudson, Carla Bosch, and Alex Kelly. Here are a few lessons we learned from them:

1. “If you have a bad painting day outside, don’t beat yourself up over it. The time that you spent making decisions on location is meaningful. You learned something from that.” - Kathleen B. Hudson

2. “Get used to the feeling of painting outside. It can sometimes be overwhelming, where if you introduce yourself slowly to it, it can be so much more fun. Just start off and go draw every morning or once a week and sit somewhere on your walking trail and just draw a tree and next time, do something else.” - Carla Bosch Art

3. “One of the things about nature which I like to try and capture is that amount of detail. But obviously you can’t paint every leaf, every twig, because there’s simply not the time. And you probably wouldn’t get a pretty effective result. So one of the key to suggesting complexity is how you use your brush.” - Alex Kelly Art

Keep these in mind for your next outdoor session and follow along for more plein air tips & lessons! ✨

07/11/2025

Your next painting day just got a little better! 🌿🎨

Day 2 of Plein Air Live was full of wisdom from the masters.

And these are the reminders that I’ll be reading before every future plein air painting adventure. ✨

1. "Start thinking of everything in terms of values, not things." ~ Bill Davidson

2. (About sketching first) "This part of the process is like having a quiet conversation with the scene. I'm not committing to anything yet, just feeling things out." ~ Keiko Tanabe Watercolor Paintings

3. "I always like to paint with a muted version of the color first so that I've always got room for more intensity and strength when I need it." ~ Ulrich Gleiter

Follow us for more plein air inspiration, tips, and lessons straight from the pros!

07/11/2025

The wisdom keeps flowing! 🎨✨

Day One of Plein Air Live brought some seriously good reminders from the pros - the kind you want to revisit before every outdoor painting session.

1. "As a pre-requisite for an enduring art career, artists must to do everything possible to keep their curious spirit alive.” - Kevin Macpherson instructional books and videos

2. "The more you paint and the more you start thinking like a painter, the more you'll become concerned with concepts like simplifying nature, creating a harmonious composition, and tying things together with color harmony." - Kyle Buckland Fine Art

3. “When you’re painting en plein air, it’s about grabbing the light effect at hand and thinking of it as a study.” - Kami Mendlik

Share these tips with a friend who may need to hear them!

And join us tomorrow for more demos, more breakthroughs, and more painting! ➡️ https://loom.ly/C0pEgOs

06/11/2025

Known for her representational art, Susiehyer Studio is revealing a different side of her practice by showcasing her “secret” abstract landscapes at Parker Arts.

Read more here: https://loom.ly/0XZh6ws

Known for her representational art, Susiehyer is revealing a different side of her practice by showcasing her “secret” abstract landscapes.

06/11/2025

Plein Air Live's Essential Techniques Day is in the books …and WOW did our faculty pack in the wisdom. 👇

Here are 3 beginner-friendly plein air habits straight from today’s demos:

1. “Concentrate on light & shadow. And have a strong value plan.” — Rick J. Delanty Fine Art
2. “You're not aiming for perfection. You're aiming to capture what you're observing and get some line mileage.” — Art by Suma CM
3. “It’s your painting. You can change a few things. They just have to be believable." — Jill Stefani Wagner

Whether you’re just getting started or you’ve been painting outdoors for years, these reminders are GOLD. ✨

Save this post for your next outdoor session. 🎨☀️

And the best part? We’re just getting started!

Three more days of inspiration and growth ahead! Join us for the rest of Plein Air Live at PleinAirLive.com.

05/11/2025

Happening Now: 6th Annual Plein Air Live!

Now through Saturday, we’re seeing up-close-and-personal presentations during Plein Air Live, an online art conference unlike any other.

Discover more at https://loom.ly/5n3AoHQ

04/11/2025

Check out this week's featured artwork by Laurel Daniel.

As a plein air painter and teacher, Laurel Daniel often takes her small studies from the field and works them into larger studio pieces. This process allows her to revisit and expand the visions she’s gathered from direct observation. The landscape is always her biggest inspiration, whether outside or in. Representation: Davis Gallery in Austin TX, and the Anderson Fine Art Gallery in St. Simons Island GA. Check personal website for upcoming workshops.

To see more of Laurel’s work, visit laureldaniel.com.

Love plein air? Subscribe to our FREE newsletter, Plein Air Today, to get fresh tips + inspiration in your inbox each week: https://loom.ly/Yfb9CPY

🎨: A Hill Country Evening, Laurel Daniel, oil on canvas, 30 x 30 in. Available through the Davis Gallery

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