Landscape Paintings

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St. Croix River | outdoor painting just like the picture in the catalog.

St. Croix River, by Jeffrey Smith

St. Croix River, 8×10″, oil on panel by Jeffrey Smith   When I was a kid, maybe around 15 years old  (not a little kid mind you,  but certainly younger than I am now),  I received a catalog of plein air painting gear.  One of the pictures in that catalog was of an outdoor painter set [...]

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River Rocks | outdoor painting at the water\’s edge.

River Rocks, plein air oil painting by Jeffrey Smith

I know what you’re thinking, “Did he do a painting of a pile of rocks sticking out of the water?” And yes–yes, I did do a painting of a pile of rocks.  More specifically, a pile of rocks–maybe sandstone–in the St. Croix river.   If you  grab your atlas, or punch it in to Google Earth, [...]

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Mud Puddles | plein air painting after the rain

There is nothing better than a clear morning after a big rain storm.  I guess that’s not entirely true. I suppose there are better things, but a great morning is certainly right up there. Last  Sunday I made my way back over to the Trial and Display Gardens on the grounds of the University of [...]

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Blog

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Hollyhocks and Corn Fields | plein air painting at the University of Minnesota

Hollyhocks and Crop Fields, 8x10

I got a call on Sunday morning from my mother asking if I was out plein air painting yet.  I was off to a late start, but I figured  she wasn’t at church either, so we were even.  Neither one of us was doing what we normally would do on a Sunday.  It turns out that [...]

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Pine Trees and the Golden Hour | plein air sketch to studio landscape painting

Pine Trees, the Golden Hour, 16x20

Pine Trees, the Golden Hour, 16×20″, pastel on panel by Jeffrey Smith I have noticed a lot of blog posts about the golden hour or magic hour in plein air painting.   I think the best, and the one with a great little tool that will tell you when the golden hour is in your part [...]

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Cloudy Day on the Mississippi River | plein air painting on the river\’s edge

Cloudy Day on the Mississippi River, 8x10, by Jeffrey Smith

It was a great day for plein air painting in St. Paul… at least it ended up as a great day for plein air painting in St.Paul. I made my way to the park this morning, and with view finder in hand, began looking for inspiration and the next subject to paint.  I set up my pochade [...]

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Sunflowers Plein Air | outdoor still life painting

Thumbnail image for Sunflowers Plein Air | outdoor still life painting

I remember how much I loved sunflowers when I was a kid.  We had a patch of them growing alongside the house, next to the kitchen window.  As I recall, the height of those sunflowers was pretty incredible especially to a kid of 7 or 8 year. These  sunflowers were painted from life right in my own [...]

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Plein Air Plan | 5 tips for better outdoor painting

I just finished a fantastic plein air painting workshop sponsored by The Atelier here in Minneapolis. The workshop was taught by plein air artist, Brian Stewart.   Go ahead.   Click on over to his site and take a look at his work; I can wait.  Welcome back. I made a conscious effort that I was going [...]

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