Plein Air Paintings

What is Plein Air painting? Plein Air painting is when the artist leaves their studio behind and experiences painting and drawing in the landscape. The practice goes back for centuries but was truly made into an art form by the French Impressionists. Their desire to paint light and its changing, ephemeral qualities, coupled with the creation of transportable paint tubes and the box easel—the precursor to the plein air easels of today—allowed artists the freedom to paint “en plein air,” which is the French expression for “in the open air.”

Painting on location in Antigua.

Painting on location in the Outer Banks.

Painting on location in the NJ Botanical Gardens.

Painting on location in Ringwood.

Painting on location in Ringwood Manor State Park.

What materials do I use for Plein Air Painting? Check out the video below where I demonstrate how I have streamlined my Plein Air gear for efficiency and portability. While I used to rely on a Julian Full French Easel in the past, I now mostly use my Cappaletto Sonia Field Easel. Occasionally, I still bring out the French Easel.