PleinAir Magazine February/March 2023

Better known for his idealistic and allegorical paintings of women as angels and Madonnas, Abbott Handerson Thayer (American, 1849-1921) regarded his landscapes as a form of portraiture. Aiming to stay true to nature, he painted these scenes en plein air, most often finding inspiration in views of Mount Monadnock, which overlooked his studio. Upon learning that a group of developers wanted to purchase an expanse of “this dear mountain,” Thayer successfully organized the local community around its conservation. To support their work, he founded the Thayer Fund, which, through the National Audubon Society, paid for wardens to protect bird sanctuaries up and down the East Coast. In this depiction, Thayer cast the majority of the scene in shadow, save for the stark white mountain peak illuminated by the rising sun in the…

E-mail: bericrhoads@gmail.com Phone: 512.607.6423 Facebook: /ericrhoads Twitter: @ericrhoads I had a vision, over 20 years ago. It was so out there that those with whom I shared it were often critical, occasionally laughing to my face. But when you believe in something so much, nothing can set you back. In 2004, PleinAir Magazine was launched, with artist L. Diane Johnson as editor. But our timing was bad. We had interest, we had subscribers, but the movement was just too small. PleinAir soon became Fine Art Connoisseur, and has survived and thrived. But I could never let PleinAir Magazine go. People were always asking me about it, I never stopped plein air painting, and my heart was shattered that I couldn't publish PleinAir anymore. So I looked for a moment to bring it back. I told my accountant…

kelly@pleinairmagazine.com outdoorpainter.com The universe of art editors is a relatively small one — and last November we lost one of our greatest stars. For most of my career at Watercolor Artist and Artist's Magazine, Steve Doherty helmed “the competitor” — American Artist. So when he made his wish to retire known, and I entered discussions to take his place as editor of PleinAir Magazine, it was intimidating to say the least. In truth, whenever I ran into Steve at art events — with his bow ties and soul-searching gaze — I was a little scared, even. So when he called me one afternoon to discuss the position, I was disarmed completely by his humor, down-toearth banter, and above all generosity of spirit. He patiently answered all my questions, then wrapped up the conversation…

A portion of our readers have never read an article written by M. Stephen Doherty, which is somewhat remarkable, considering he wrote about art for 40 years, helming the representational art instruction magazine American Artist for 31 of them. He was editor-in-chief of PleinAir as well, for six years. But Steve would not be bothered by the fact that some of you don't know his work. He would often quote an early publisher of his who told him that magazine writers aren't addressing an audience, but rather a parade. There are always new people coming to the world of painting, and they will need patient and dependable instruction that meets them at their level. Steve always delivered, with patience, competence, and humility. I worked with him at American Artist, most notably as…

PLEIN AIR PORTFOLIO Few scenes rival the drama of a mountainous landscape. From the rocky cliffs overlooking the Pacific to the flat-topped mesas dotting the Southwest and rolling hills rising up throughout the Eastern United States, plein air painters have their pick of inspiring subjects.…

It's no surprise that Canadian artists in the early 20th century faced an inferiority complex. At the time, the country continued to suffer from a colonial mentality, assuming anything that came out of Europe was superior to what they could find at home. According to a story on The Artchive website, “In 1924, only two percent of the paintings sold in Canadawereby Canadian artists, and the patrons of Montreal bragged that more Dutch paintings were sold there than in any other city in North America.” In response, a collection of painters, draftsmen, printmakers, illustrators, and teachers who would become the Group of Seven set out to celebrate the country's unique scenery and bring glory to artists at home. They believed that a distinct Canadian art could be developed through direct contact…