Plain Talk About Plein Air

Painting en plein air--literally "in the outdoors"--is enjoying enormous popularity among both painters and patrons. Numerous organizations dedicate themselves exclusively to plein air painting and work to attract the attention of collectors and galleries. An increasing number of communities host plein air events to promote tourism and their own cultural cachet.


The rapid growth of plein air painting over the past 20 years is cause for celebration because it is in the vanguard of a wider reaction to the obscurity, banality, and pretentiousness of much "modern" and "post-modern" art. Contemporary plein air painters have turned away from the intellectual abstractions of modernism and post-modernism to respond simply and directly to the world around them. Their paintings require no explanation.

Dan Riley. View of Snoqualmie River

 Collectors value plein air paintings for their energy and spontaneity. They also appreciate the virtuosity whereby a talented artist can achieve such dramatic results so quickly and with such an economy of means, the very qualities we so much admire in the French Impressionists and their kin. Most collectors are well aware of the role of plein air painting in the development of French Impressionism and through their purchases are able, perhaps, in some small measure to participate in that tradition.

Steve Whitney. The Sentry

 Artists too are well aware that in moving their studio outdoors they are following in the footsteps of masters such as Constable, Monet, Sorolla, Sargent, Zorn, and Homer. Like their precursors, today's plein air painters also relish the challenge and immediacy of confronting their subjects directly rather than second-hand through photographs. In this they are like their counterparts painting from the model or from a still-life setup.

John Tubbs. Gold Creek Pond

 The benefits of making art outdoors include

• Fun! Hanging out with friends who share your passion in a beautiful (or at least interesting) environment.
• Challenge! Focusing on essentials to simplify the seeming chaos of nature.
• Expression! Painting your immediate response to the scene before you.
• Authenticity! Learning about light and color first hand rather than through the lens of a camera.
• Practice. Honing your design, drawing, and painting skills.

Despite the benefits of making art outdoors, many artists and especially beginners are reluctant to get started. Some are daunted by real or apparent complications such as gathering proper equipment; contending with weather, bugs, and traffic; route finding; packing lunches, and so on. Other painters fear they will embarrass themselves in front of fellow artists and curious strangers. Not a few are simply intimidated by the prospect of wresting a painting from subject matter that is rarely arranged conveniently.

Steve Whitney. Morning Shade

In the interests of full disclosure, I must admit that at one time I used all these excuses myself. Then I took a couple of plein air workshops and found a nearby friend to go with me on local painting excursions. That was more than a decade ago, and since then I've been out dozens of times and completed hundreds of plein air paintings.

To increase enjoyment, reduce frustration, and move beyond concerns about embarrassment, I learned early on to manage my expectations. Here are some tips that helped me and may prove useful to you.

If you feel intimidated by the abundance of possibilities around you, don't feel obliged to create a panoramic landscape. Instead paint studies of rocks, trees, people, whatever. These studies train both eye and hand and can be used later as references for studio paintings.

Steve Whitney. Ornamental Plum

Even a failed plein air drawing or painting, especially when combined with photographs, can serve as inspiration or reference for later studio work.

If you are painting with more experienced artists, take time to watch them work (free demos!) and feel free to ask questions. Most artists are happy to help and flattered that you should ask.

Enjoy the camaraderie, which can make up even for the most frustrating outings.

Lower your expectations, especially at first. Painting outdoors is a skill unto itself, and even experienced artists often crank out paintings that, at least by their standards, are not up to the mark.

For specific recommendation on plein air painting, please see the "Plein Air Primer" on the website of the Evergreen Association of Fine Arts: http://eafa.org/shows-and-events/eafa-plein-air-program/plein-air-primer.