The purposes of this group are:

  • to establish a collective of regional artists interested in meeting with other artists to paint en plein air
  • to establish a database of accessible painting locations
  • to discuss anything related to painting en plein air including tips, supplies, mediums, etc
About NH Plein Air    

The group was founded on July 19, 2004 by artist Sharon E. Allen of Derry, NH, with the support and encouragment of fellow artists Elaine Farmer and Joanne Beausoleil, both of Londondonderry, who also serve as assistant moderators for the group.

NHPleinAir is a unique collective of regional plein air artists from throughout NH and neighboring regions of Maine, Massachusetts, and Vermont, with a few members from outside the region as well. Based at Yahoo! Groups, the purpose of the group is to provide a communications base for our region’s plein air artists where members can connect with other artists for painting outings, discuss problems or tips and techniques unique to painting en plein air, share photos of their works for critique and help, and share information on any related topic such as framers, printers, art supply vendors, and much more.

With 250+ members, one can almost always find others available to get out to paint on almost any day, weekday or weekend, and as a result, there are often opportunities for several outings within a week. With members spread throughout the region, it’s also frequently possible to form carpools with others to get to a more distant location. The group logged more than 40 outings & activities in its first year and has exceeded that pace in its second year.

NHPleinAir holds group exhibits of members’ works created on group outings and was featured in Plein Air magazine on several occasions. Membership in the group is free and the only expenses (other than the artists own supplies, food, and transportation costs) are exhibit entry fees which are used to cover advertising, workshop fees, and voluntary monetary contributions when carpooling.

Our homepage at Yahoo! Groups provides many features, further described in this brochure, which are accessible to all members (yahoo ID required for access) including a group Calendar, Databases, Photo Sharing, and more.

About Our Members    
NHPleinAir members are an ecclectic collection of people from all walks of life who share a passion for painting en plein air.

Our membership spans generations, and the only age “restriction” is that members must be 18+ - largely due to worries over the issue of transporting minors on more distant outings.

Member artists are of all levels of technical ability, spanning the range from beginning hobbyists to professional art teachers to signature members of professional art societies and every level in between.

And our members are equally diverse in their mediums of choice—acrylics, charcoal, inks, oils, pastels, watercolors— some who specialize in one specific medium and others who may vary their medium of choice depending on location or weather conditions.

As shown in photos throughout this website, on outings our members can be found painting side by side (or within shouting distance!) in a relaxed atmosphere, offering both companionship & friendly support & encouragment to each other , while respecting the fact that the more experienced members are also there to paint and not to give formal instruction.

Members each receive a name tag to wear on outings, identifying them as members of the group. Participation in outings/activities is recognized by a dot or other sticker, and member artists may have a full palette on their “badge of courage” by the end end of the season!

Our Yahoo!Groups Features    
The group’s website at Yahoo! Groups features a Photo section where members can share images of their latest works, a Database section which includes favorite plein air locations and art supplies vendors, Links to plein air related websites, a Calendar of group and member events, and more!

Calendar:
Our NHPleinAir group calendar is accessible by all members (yahoo ID required) and contains information on events of general interest to our group members including :

  • dates and locations of outings
  • dates and locations of our own exhibits and application deadlines
  • dates and locations of other exhibit and show opportunities
  • dates and locations of exhibits or shows or receptions we might be interested in attending
  • dates and locations of workshops or classes of interest to our members
  • member birthdays and anniversaries

The Calendar can be viewed in daily, monthly, or yearly format, and also has an Events List feature in which members can see all upcoming events at a glance.

All members are free to access the Calendar to check for dates of activities, and all members are encouraged to add their own information to the Calendar.

Files:
The Files section at our NHPleinAir website can be an indispensable resource for all of your plein air painting needs! There are folders for everything you could possibly imagine:

  • lists of local art associations & organizations
  • contact info for art teachers within our NHPleinAir air
  • locations & contact info for art supply vendors within our area
  • members' artist bios ... Store & print yours whenever you need it or read others for ideas on how to create your own
  • a list of what's in each of those sections in the menu at left on our homepage
  • an explanation of the purpose & use of our Name Tags
  • lists of past outings & events (helpful in knowing if you're eligible for certain exhibits)
  • lists of good/member recommended plein air locations
  • contact info for print makers
  • lists of Exhibit & Show opportunities & contests, both local & national
  • lists of special Workshops & Classes in our area

All members are encouraged to add their own "finds" to the files & to check the Files section often to see what's new.

Databases:
Yahoo! groups allows us to have up to 10 separate Databases & our database section contains a variety of useful information including:

  • "at a glance" databases of member recommended plein air locations (one each for MA, ME, and NH) which include info on ease of accessibility, parking, restroom, fees etc
  • a database of member names and e-mail addresse
  • Separate lists of members for upcoming outings and events showeing those members who are planning to attend

All members are encouraged to add to these databases.

Photos:
All members can have their own folder in our Photos section to upload pictures of works in progress and/or completed paintings to share with members for comment or help. We also have have photo albums with pictures of members, outings, favorite painting locations, and our exhibits

 

Links:
Our Links section contains links to member recommended websites for anything and everything plein air related including:

  • art associations
  • art supplies
  • contests and competitions
  • frames
  • members’ websites
  • artwork photographers
  • plein air locations
  • and more

To become a member of NHPleinAir: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NHPleinAir/