28 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2018
H
ere in Nebraska, beauty
surrounds us constantly.
It tends to announce itself
most clearly in uninterrupted
moments of quiet – a long
morning in a deer blind, a lazy tubing
trip down the Niobrara, an evening
of calm after an afternoon of hiking.
Seeking out that beauty can be its own
goal and reward, driving us into the
outdoors with the need to capture it
forever.
Photography is a common method,
both accessible and familiar. Less well
known, but growing in popularity, is
the practice of painting en plein air –
directly from nature.
Plein air (prounounced pleyn air) is a
French term that means "open air" and
refers to the act of painting on location
using natural light. Some artists use
their plein air pieces as inspiration
for works completed in the studio,
while others prefer to complete entire
paintings on site. Plein air artists work
within an extremely limited time frame,
usually two or three hours for an entire
painting, before the light and shadow
alter too drastically. Artists must also
contend with unpredictable weather,
bugs and animals, limited equipment,
and subject matter that may or may not
stay in place. On the other hand, plein
air pieces often have a freshness and
vitality that is lacking in studio work.
Young artists are often encouraged
to paint en plein air, as it provides a
N
ATURE IN
2-D
Frederic Remington paints at Fort Robinson in 1905. Image courtesy of the Frederic
Remington Art Museum, Ogdensburg, New York.
By Renae Blum
O
UTDOOR
P
AINTING
PHOTO
BY
ROBERT
NEWCOMBE
