Painting En Plein Air - Outdoor Painting Locally

As this cold winter drags on, I find myself enjoying the recent rise in temperatures. My mind is envisioning a session to paint outdoors. I know the truly rugged artists like Tim Widener and Heiner Hertling, among others are painting throughout the winter. Not liking the cold, I am finding solace keeping toasty by my fireplace. Humm....maybe I will paint that!

I want to make everyone aware of a group of artists that are meeting every Saturday, all year long (even through this cold cold winter). They are called the Michigan Plein Air Painters. Artists meet at Kensington Metro Park off of I-96 at 8:30 am on Saturdays in the Nature Center Parking Lot. At around 8:15 they depart to a mutually discussed painting place either in the park or at a nearby place that someone has discovered. At times, they will arrange with private residences and businesses to paint at their location. This is a fun group that also gathers at Baker's Restaurant in Milford at the other end of the park to have lunch after the mornings painting session. Artists are working in many mediums - Oil, Watercolor, Pastel, Pencils, Acrylic. Depending on time of year and weather, meetings many times reach over 20 artists. Check out their website - Michigan Plein Air Painters .

Painting en plein air (french for in the open air) has given my work a freshness that working strictly from photos can not achieve. The subtleties of the colors in the shadows and in the distance are often neglected by our cameras. To go out only to achieve a vision of the color nuances can also help with the outcome of your work.

Give it a try. The learning, the fellowship and the tasty lunch at Baker's makes for a fun, relaxing day.

Great Lakes Plein Air Painters Group Exhibition

ART SHOW - "Landscapes - Out in the Open" held at the Hope Borbas Okemos Library, 4321 Okemos Rd., Okemos, MI. Exhibit runs from February 1 to 24 during library hours. Contact the library at 517-347-2031 for more information.

I just finished hanging the entries for the Great Lakes Plein Air Painters. My entry, Kensington Morning, along with many members, including master members - Tim Widener, Sharon Griffes Tarr and Jerry Power will be on display. What a feast for the eyes! This show is a wonderful display of art that in all cases was created outdoors - on location. There is a freshness to work created in this way. Feeling and emotion mingles with medium evolving into spectacular works of art.

Opening reception is today - Sunday, Feb 1 from 1 to 4 pm. Please stop by to see over 30 works in oil, pastel and acrylic. Talk to the artists to find out what inspires them to brave the elements to create these expressive works of art.