Plein Air Painting comes to Mainstreet Gallery

You may have seen artists on streets, in parks, on roadsides, or in the botanic gardens this summer capturing the beauty of Chicagoland or the Midwest. Plein air painting, or painting outside on location, is a challenge for artists; they must demonstrate their skills and experience to create compelling works in a time restraint in any outdoor situation. They've battled wind, insects, heat, cold, changing light and weather to capture a perfect moment.

Plein air competitions are popping up across the area to capture local artists' interpretations of local landscapes. Mainstreet Gallery has given these artists the opportunity to showcase their works in a juried exhibition during the month of September.

"These paintings must be painted 90% en plein air with only 10% touch up work afterwards in the studio with absolutely no photo reference," said Frankie Johnson, gallery owner and experienced plein air painter. "This is very different from the vast array of perfectly photographed and filtered images we have access to, and it really puts pressure on artists to capture things quickly before things change. It's a great skill." The paintings are all pieces that were completed in roughly 2-3 hours and feature the landscapes of the Midwest.

The paintings range in subject matter: urban scenes captured in Evanston, beach views from Fort Sheridan and Illinois Beach State Park, and scenes of a patio restaurant in Barrington. The exhibition will run the entire month of September, with a Gallery Exhibition and Awards Reception from 4-7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 7, at Mainstreet Gallery in Lake Zurich.