Plein Air Art Podcast

Eric Rhoads interviews artist Ray Roberts, who tells us his painting techniques and his advice on composition, design, color, value, drawing, and: The top five things plein air artists should focus on when painting; His thoughts on transferring a plein air study to a studio piece; How to compose a painting and what he recommends as the best ways to formulate a design; The most misunderstood part of learning to paint light and shadow

Eric Rhoads interviews Montana artist Josh Elliott. Josh shares why he doesn't teach art workshops, how he times his paintings when painting outdoors, and: Why someone can become a great artist if they don't start painting while they're young; How lucky we are, as artists, to have something to say about the overwhelming beauty of landscapes, and how he captures his response to a stirring scene; His advice for artists who want to try to fit all of their favorite aspects of a scene into a single painting

Does plein air painting have a future? What can we all do to make sure it remains strong? What are the issues we all face in the days ahead? What are the best practices artists should follow? Join Eric Rhoads, along with special guests Al Bond from Plein Air Easton, Jean Stern from the Irvine Museum, and Elaine and Peter Adams from the California Art Club, as they explore what lies ahead for the plein air movement.

Eric Rhoads interviews plein air and figurative/portrait artist Dawn Whitelaw. Listen as Dawn shares the following: Why she considers teaching others to be her best work; What a "grocery bag sketch" is (it's not what you think) and how they came about; What changed everything about how she approaches the canvas to paint; and more!

Eric Rhoads interviews artist Roger Dale Brown, who tells us how "the most horrifying experience" of his life got him back into painting; why Nashville has become such a great place for artists; What he learned from painting en plein air for 350 days in a row; How he's inspired by God and spirituality in art and in life; and more.

How has plein air painting influenced and impacted animated motion pictures? What have top animation artists discovered about color and light that can help painters? Discover what artists Mike Hernandez (Dreamworks) and Bill Cone and Sharon Calahan (both with Pixar Animation Studios), all film industry veterans and landscape painters, have to say in this discussion with Eric Rhoads.

Eric Rhoads interviews artist David Dibble, who addresses the keys to getting the most out of an art workshop, how to grow as a painter if you've never gone to art school, and: How, years ago, artists were sent to study art in Paris in order to come back to the states and enrich the local church culture in Utah; How and what he teaches at Brigham Young University to the next generation of artists, including how technology comes into play; Why he focuses on composition at painting events

Eric Rhoads interviews Australian artist Leon Holmes. Listen as Holmes expresses his passion for painting outdoors, including experimenting with new supplies and methods, capturing ephemeral light around the world, and: What it was like to design the "ultimate studio" and a special announcement about how he's going to use the space; How plein air is part of Australia's art history and the current community culture; Why he makes his own lightweight pochade boxes for outdoor painters.

Eric Rhoads interviews contemporary impressionist Nancy Tankersley. Listen as Nancy Tankersley shares the following: The combined factors that helped make Plein Air Easton a great success; What it's like to run an artist-owned gallery, including the pros and cons and her advice for all artists working with a gallery; What she would say to a studio artist who has never painted outdoors and how the art of plein air becomes part of one's visual language, and more.

Eric Rhoads interviews impressionist artist Christine Lashley. Lashley shares: How beauty is interpreted; What it was like when she took her children along for "take your daughter to work day," and how one of her daughters had painted a dramatic view while sitting inside a geologic formation called a pothole, and the other had chosen a waterfall, creating frame-worthy watercolors; Giving constructive criticism to students while painting together en plein air.

Eric Rhoads interviews representational artist John Lasater. Lasater’s development as an artist is inspired by his insatiable desire to study the masters as well as by exploring new techniques and ideas while painting en plein air. Listen as John Lasater shares the following: How everyone becomes a student when painting nature en plein air; Preparations an artist can make for attending shows and his tip for getting discounted shipping rates, and more.

Eric Rhoads interviews impressionist artist Richard Oversmith. Oversmith taught himself to paint quickly and accurately, achieving energetic paintings that are full of life and make it easy for people to connect with his work. Oversmith shares his painting techniques, including his unique way of mixing pools of color; the best way to train yourself to understand color harmony, the importance of studying value and shapes; Plein air versus studio painting; An explanation of local color and more.

Eric Rhoads interviews Avalon Foundation President/CEO Al Bond and COO/CFO Jess Bellis. The Avalon Foundation hosts the annual Plein Air Easton art festival in Maryland. Listen as they share the following; Best practices for artists on submitting paintings, selling art at festivals, and pricing your art; The role we all play in keeping the plein air community healthy and growing; The worst thing that can happen at a plein air event; Using social media to engage with your collectors, and more.

Plein air artist Bill Cone on how painting outdoors informed his work on animated films for Pixar. Listen as Bill Cone shares: How his plein air painting informed his work on Pixar films in regards to color, light, and atmosphere; Why being in nature introduced a whole new range of color possibilities to his art; The benefits of being in a figure drawing group, even if you primarily paint landscapes, and more.

Eric Rhoads interviews expressionist painter Anne Blair Brown in this week’s PleinAir Podcast. Learn her advice for seeing shapes for composition; How to have more successes than failures; How she articulates the way she feels about a subject in a painting, rather than how well it can be drawn; Understanding viscosity; she adds that the creating an underpainting lends to intentional decisions about where shadow shapes will fall; and much more.