En plein air is a French expression which means “in the open air,” and is particularly used to describe the act of painting outdoors. Artists have long painted outdoors, but in the mid-19th century working in natural light became particularly important to the Impressionism. The popularity of painting en plein air increased in the 1870s with the introduction of paints in tubes, and is currently experiencing another big revival.
Utah artist Patricia Kimball, produced four lovely paintings that served as the awards given to JRC Awards Gala recipients. More information about Patty can be found on her website: www.patriciakimball.com.