​What is Plein Air?

En plein air refers to the act of paint­ing out­doors with the artist’s sub­ject in full view.  In the mid-1800s paint­ing land­scapes on loca­tion became prac­ti­cal due to two impor­tant inven­tions: paints in tubes and the box easel. Before these inno­va­tions existed, each painter made their own paints by grind­ing and mix­ing pig­ment pow­ders with oils — a process dif­fi­cult to per­form away from the studio.

The high point of plein air art came with the emer­gence of Impres­sion­ism. Artists of that period included Monet, Renoir, Pis­sarro, Cezanne and Van Gogh. Inter­est in out­door paint­ing has remained con­stant since the 20th cen­tury.  The last 20 years has seen a resur­gence in plein air paint­ing in the United States.  Groups of plein air artists gath­er­ together to paint at sin­gle loca­tions or within geo­graphic bound­aries. These “Paint Outs” give artists a chance to share their tal­ents and cre­ativ­ity with the pub­lic while giving artists the ability to be immersed in creative process.

PASTELS
Pastels are often mistaken for chalk which is limestone and dye. Pastel is actually dry powdered pigment molded into a crayon shape with a binding solution. The word pastel is derived from the French word pastiche or pate, which is made by grinding he pigment and binder. Because its pigments have lasting brilliance, pastel is as close as an artist can come to painting with pure color.