Innholdsfortegnelse for April/May 2025 i PleinAir Magazine

Born in Switzerland and trained by his father, a lithographer and draughtsman, Johann Jakob Frey (Swiss, 1813-1865) spent time in Munich and Paris before settling down in Rome. As preparation for large, highly finished paintings, he made numerous sketches and drawings from nature. Of these, his sky studies stand out, mainly for their bright palette and the remarkable depth he achieved in his clouds. In such works, the ground remains minimalistic; often he used only two or three long brush-strokes to suggest a plane. Inspired by trips to Egypt, Nubia, and part of Sudan, he incorporated accents of purple, yellow, and pink — hues not seen in the Italian sketches of his contemporaries. Despite their quality, these private works remained hidden by the artist until his death. See how 17…

CAROLYN LINDSEY Cuervo, NM East Porch, oil on linen; 9 x 12 in. lindseycj@plateautel.net | 575-512-5329 carolynlindsey.com LAMYA DEEB Niwot, CO The Color of Wine, oil on linen, 14 x 11 in. lamya@lamyadeebfineart.com | 303-931-8220 lamyadeebfineart.com CECY TURNER Signature Member Dallas, TX Approaching Storm Mummy Range, oil on linen, 12 x 16 in. cecy@cecyturner.com | 214-734-9315 | cecyturner.com Represented by Wild Horse Gallery, Steamboat Springs, CO Mary Williams Fine Arts, Boulder, CO Redstone Art Gallery, Redstone, CO MICHAEL GAULT Woodland Park, CO Destination Pikes Peak - Woodland Park, oil on panel, 9 x 12 in. info@MichaelGaultStudio.com | 303-589-2442 MichaelGaultStudio.com Represented by Michael Gault Studio, Woodland Park, CO Artistic Endeavors Fine Art, Woodland Park, CO Reserve Our Gallery, Woodland Park, CO JENNIFER RIEFENBERG Cedaredge, CO Winter Pool, oil, 8 x 10…

Donald Demers paints outdoors with astonishing veracity, recreating the world in front of him with a richness and depth that challenges the limits of the genre. Thoughtfully observed and splendidly crafted, his paintings are further infused with a sense of atmosphere, a spirit of place and time that envelops and transports the viewer. “I love to come upon the bigness, the truth of a scene,” says the artist, “and then begin to dismantle it mentally and reassemble it artistically. I try to start from a macro point of view and then move to a micro point of view, even though there's a little contradiction in that thought.” Largely known for his maritime paintings, often set along the coasts of Maine, Demers is also a masterful landscape painter. The Lower Flume,…

Last October, I embarked on an incredible adventure to Morocco, not just as a traveler, but as a leader of a watercolor retreat. My goal was to share the joy of painting and inspire others to view the world through a new artistic lens. What I could never have anticipated was just how deeply this journey would transform me. FIRST IMPRESSIONS Leading up to the retreat, I felt the weight of preparation — crafting content to sustain my watercolor tutorial business while I was away, batching videos for my YouTube channel, and developing a curriculum that would empower my retreat guests to paint confidently on location. On top of that, the prospect of traveling alone, especially internationally, always brings some anxiety. Concerns about flight delays, language barriers, and unexpected mishaps…

CHRISTINE CODE | CLOUD CATCHER I live in the prairies, with mostly flat farmland all around. Because the sky dominates my local landscape, it tends to dominate my paintings as well. Whenever I step outside for a plein air excursion, I first look up to the sky. If I see glorious, puffy cumulus clouds, I know they will be the focus of my work. Like still life, the form of this particular cloud type offers the opportunity to describe light, shadow, and mid-tone. PAINTING THE SKY In general, the sky determines the overall light and mood in your landscape. If the sky is gray and overcast, you'll find that the scene appears more tonal. If it's a bright sunny day, you'll find more color and value contrast in the light…

This year our 12th annual Plein Air Convention & Expo (PACE) will be held in the western United States, in spectacular Lake Tahoe and Reno. There is boundless opportunity for the plein air artist in this alluring region: glimmering crystal-clear Lake Tahoe, with majestic bald eagles soaring above; the stunning snow-capped Sierra Nevada Mountains; scenic lakefront parks; and vibrant cosmopolitan vistas in Reno, which is nestled in the high Eastern Sierra foothills. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America and is famed for its clear waters and magnificent scenery, and Emerald Bay in Lake Tahoe is one of the most photographed places in the world. Lake Tahoe straddles two states — Nevada and California. The lake measures 22 miles in length, and 12 miles across at its…

DURRE WASEEM Corona, CA Colors of Belonging, oil on canvas; 30 x 40 durrewaseem@gmail.com | durrewaseem.com IRENA TAYLOR San Antonio, Texas Toward Fredericksburg, pastel; 12 x 16 in. irenantaylor@gmail.com | 210-316-8630 irenataylor.com Represented by Gallery Prudencia, San Antonio, TX MICHAEL GAULT Woodland Park, CO Late in the Day Near Salida, oil on panel; 18 x 24 in. info@MichaelGaultStudio.com | 303-589-2442 MichaelGault.com Represented by Michael Gault Studio, Woodland Park, CO Artistic Endeavors Fine Art, Woodland Park, CO SHAUN FRANKFURT Tulsa, Oklahoma Palo Duro Morning, oil on linen; 12 x 16 in. contact@shaunfrankfurt.com | 405-210-3800 | shaunfrankfurt.com MILLIE GOSCH College Park, GA Singing the Blues, oil on panel, 16 x12 in. milliegosch@gmail.com | milliegosch.com Represented by Anne Neilson Fine Art, Charlotte, NC Huff Harrington Fine Art, Atlanta, GA Camelia Art Gallery, Bluffton,…

The local community of New Bern and participating artists eagerly await the first day of the 5th Annual North Carolina Plein Air Art Festival on May 12, 2025. This weeklong festival showcases 37 nationally and globally acclaimed plein air artists competing to capture the beauty of the historic riverfront city and surrounding communities. The festival brings the community together as local residents house participating artists, serve as volunteers, and meet the artists using a real-time location mobile app. New Bern was recently deemed the “Capital of Love” for Nicholas Sparks fans by The New York Times for its Southern Romanticism. It was the first state capital and is the second-oldest European town in North Carolina, and its gracious historical district and Tiyon Palace are enticing subject matter for architectural cityscapes.…

The minute I found out what plein air painting was,” says Michigan artist Jill Stefani Wagner, “it changed everything for me.” Wagner had retired from running her own advertising firm in Ann Arbor and was spending most of her time in her studio, building her next career as a professional artist, when she experienced her first plein air festival during a visit to Door County, Wisconsin, in 2012. “I saw my first plein air painters there and I fell in love. I decided then and there that plein air would be my focus,” she recalls. For years, she mainly painted local Michigan scenery, honing her skills through workshops by pastel and oil artists she admired. In 2014, she participated in her first plein air festival, Paint Dexter, and won Best…

DECEMBER DECEMBER “BEST OF” CATEGORY AWARDS The 14th annual PleinAir Salon consists of 12 monthly contests from April 2025 to March 2025. The awards will be presented in May 2025 at the Plein Air Convention & Expo, in Lake Tahoe and Reno, Nevada. Winners of each monthly contest are automatically entered into the annual competition. First prize in the annual Salon is $15,000 cash and the publication of the winning image on the cover of PleinAir Magazine, along with a feature story. Second Place earns an artist $3,000 and an article in the digital edition of PleinAir Magazine. Third Place yields $2,000 in cash, with three Honorable Mentions taking home $700 each, and an Artist's Choice Award garnering $200. Six Best Medium Awards for acrylic, drawing, gouache, oil, pastel, and…

The plein air community plays a vital role in preserving history by capturing fleeting landscapes and vanishing locations before they disappear forever. The California Art Club (CAC) recently hosted “Downtown Impressions: Plein Air Perspectives on Los Angeles,” showcasing views of the city before the recent fires destroyed many homes, businesses, and lives. Although the concept for the show originated several years ago, its importance and timeliness today cannot be overstated. I asked a number of the artists whose works were featured in the exhibition to share their personal stories related to the landscapes in and around the Los Angeles area, some of which are now dramatically changed. THEY NO LONGER EXIST “I painted Marine Layer from a small outcropping on Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades, looking west towards the…

BUNNY CARHAHAN “Gorgeous views, great energy and very quiet. Restrooms and person on site if you plan ahead. The feeling and energy always changes. In Genoa, The Pink House Restaurant with a 160 year old bar is highly recommended.” RONNIE RECTOR “Located near Genoa, Nevada, River Fork Ranch is a nature preserve and working cattle operation The ranch supports a diverse wildlife population including bald eagles, sandhill cranes, monarch butterflies and mule deer and boasts stunning reflections of the Sierra range in the rivers.” IAN SCOTT “The Truckee River along I-80 has easily accessible solitude and a variety of rock forms and dramatic light, making it a frequent stop when I'm driving between Truckee and Reno.” PIPER JOHNSON “Sand Harbor is a painter's paradise. You need to get there early…

DONNER MEMORIAL STATE PARK Truckee, CA | parks.ca.gov/?page_id=503 The Visitor Center features compelling exhibits that illuminate the Emigrant Experience, the Donner Party, the Land of the Washoe (including exquisite examples of Washoe basketry), Chinese construction of the railroad, and early motoring adventures over Donner Pass. The park is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. everyday and is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. NEVADA STATE PARKS AT LAKE TAHOE Incline Village, NV | parks.nv.gov/parks/lake-tahoe-nevada-state-park Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. It is a scenic cobalt blue lake atop the Sierra Nevada, featuring four Nevada State Parks along the eastern shoreline. Photo by Susan Mowers. TAHOE BLUE EVENT CENTER South Lake Tahoe, CA | tahoeblueeventcenter.com Features two levels event floor with suites, conference rooms, and…

kelly@pleinairmagazine.com outdoorpainter.com facebook.com/pleinairmagazine x.com/pleinairmag Instagram.com/pleinairmag As a plein air painter, you strive to capture the world as you see it — the light, the color, the atmosphere. But beyond representation, there is something more vital, something that sets you apart: your personal response to the subject before you. It's easy to get caught up in formulas, trends, or the pursuit of technical mastery. But true artistic growth comes when you allow yourself to be vulnerable, to trust your instincts, and to paint with honesty. When you look at the landscape, do you feel its grandeur or its intimacy? Is it the vast sky that stirs you, or the way sunlight grazes a distant ridge? Your personal reactions — those fleeting emotions you experience — are what give your paintings life.…

Whether they seek to capture the delicate hues of daybreak, the drama of an approaching storm, or the serene glow of twilight, artists have long turned their gaze upward for inspiration. In this collection, 17 plein air painters present their visions of the sky — not merely as a backdrop for the landscape, but as a subject full of mood, movement, and meaning in its own right. EXPANDED DIGITAL EDITION CONTENT…

Deep in the forest wilderness, it's easy to be inspired. But set up to paint, and suddenly all you see are trees. Everything goes up and up, and it's all so close. The scene looks the same in every direction, or is so complex that trying to capture it would be like painting a bowl of spaghetti. After a few minutes, you feel like you should just pack up and head back down the trail. But wait. In the end, every painting comes down to line, shape, form, value, and color, right? The unique challenge of the forested landscape is translating all that chaotic beauty into a coherent design. In scenes that include millions of leaves and needles, thousands of branches, hundreds of species of plants, and numberless blades of…

A landscape painting offers a snapshot of a particular time and place. But what if you could go beyond the frame and meet the artist, uncover buried histories of the work and location, or get a snapshot of the featured environment today? The virtual exhibition “Beyond the Frame: Impressions of California” invites visitors to do just that, dissolving the barrier between viewer and artwork through an immersive experience that brings together paintings with artist biographies and compelling narratives about the works and the scenes they depict. More than a year in the making, this unique exhibition emerged from a partnership between UC Irvine Langson Institute and Museum of California Art and the design team of Imaginary Places. Using technology to bridge the 19th century to present day, the display features…

While teaching a workshop in Maine last September I decided to do a nocturne demonstration for the group,” says California artist Tim Horn. “I arrived early and parked my rental car with the headlights shining on the wall of an old white building, which had been a church many years ago. “My class and I chatted amiably as I worked, but we'd had a full day, and after about an hour the painters had seen enough and began walking back to their rooms. I took the painting as far as I could on location, then I packed up my gear and loaded it into the trunk of my car. “When I turned the key to start the engine … nothing. Leaving the lights on for so long had drained the…

MARCUS ASHLEY FINE ART GALLERY South Lake Tahoe, CA | marcusashley.com Marcus Ashley Fine Art Gallery is known for representing a wide variety of American and international artists. The gallery is home to all types of exquisite fine art, from oil paintings and fine art prints to glass art, sculpture and contemporary pieces that almost defy categorization. NEVADA MUSEUM OF ART Reno, NV | nevadaart.org The newly expanded 120,000 square foot Nevada Museum of Art showcases four gallery floors. Located in Reno's vibrant Arts District, the Nevada Museum of Art offers meaningful opportunities to engage with art through original exhibitions and programming, its permanent collections, a research space, and the E.L. Cord Museum School. TAHOE ART LEAGUE'S GALLERY South Lake Tahoe, CA | talart.org The Tahoe Art League operates three…