Plein Air Hiking

Safe, Accessible Painting Adventures

Who is an Artist?

I always hear some version of the phrase I'm not an artist.  That's because artists are typically defined as a person who produces paintings or drawings as a profession or hobby.  

While that's one definition it's not the only one.  In her book "Make Your Art No Matter What", Beth Pickins uses artist as the word for people who have creative practices throughout and beyond every nameable discipline.  I personally like this definition, but let's shorten it just a bit to help us. 

"An artist is someone who has a creative practice."

Who is a Hiker?

Like the term artist, the definition of a hiker is very narrow and antiquated. A hiker is usually defined as a person who goes for a long walk in the countryside.  Once again it is A definition but not a very inclusive one.

Syren Nagakyrie, the author of  The Disabled Hiker’s Guide to Western WA and OR, gives us a more inclusive definition in this Disabled Hikers Instagram post:

 "If you move in some way outdoors, and want to call yourself a hiker, you are a hiker. "  

What is Plein Air Painting or En Plein Air?

En Plein Air is a French term meaning in open air. This is in reference to artists that painted their subjects outdoors in full view.  This allowed them to capture the spirit and essence of a subject by using natural light, color, and movement in their work.  

Catherine Gill, in her book ‘Powerful Watercolor Landscapes', describes the job of a landscape painter as thoughtfully capturing the response we feel to the landscape, not accurately painting the things we see in the landscape. 

I like this definition but not everyone paints, remember our definition of artists above.  So let's change painting to creating and let's change landscape to subject.  

"Creating  En Plein Air is a way to interpret and share our responses to our subjects as we experience them firsthand in nature."

How do we keep ourselves and nature safe?

Leave No Trace is an organization that has developed a framework of 7 Principles to help minimize our impact when visiting the outdoors.   

These principles can be used in any location from the remote wilderness, to local parks and even our backyards.  This site will be using Leave No Trace principles in the development of information for artists. 

"We can keep ourselves and nature safe  by understanding and using The 7 Principles of Leave No Trace"

The Vision and Mission of Plein Air Hiking 

The Vision:

to build a responsible, inclusive community of artists, who create En Plein Air.

The Mission:

to provide the educational and inspirational resources to get artists outdoors, while keeping themselves and nature safe