I've been asked about the term "plein air" many times. It does seem to get thrown around alot. I must clench when someone requests a "plein air frame." It's an incorrect use of the term.

En plein air is a French expression which means "in the open air", and is particularly used to describe the act of painting outdoors. So next time I blog or facebook about plein air painting, you can most likely find me out on a hillside, or down by the lake with my easel and paints. Quite simply put, painting outside.

This small but colorful birch was finished in August. The sky was blue and the late summer colors were blazing.

Panoramic Birch. This painting was meant to encompass a range of colors and the feeling of distance.

Okay, so I learned something today. Someone made reference to my paintings as "kiss ass paintings". It put a shock wave through me and I just couldn't figure out what they meant by that. So after some sweating and searching the new age description was this: "All kiss ass paintings are of the highest best quality and standards".

That's nice to know, but I have a time keeping up with these new age phrasings! Thank goodness for Wikipedia!