This summer, head out to your favourite park, river valley or wild space. Bring along a sketchbook or art journal*, crayons or watercolours along and paint or draw en plein air just like artists before you! In art, en plein air is the act of painting or drawing outside, popularized in the early 1800s by artists in the Barbizon school and later, the Impressionists. Artworks are typically created quickly in order to capture the changing light and have a very different feel than art made in the studio. Check out our video tutorial below to learn how to make an art journal.
The Art Gallery of Alberta respectfully acknowledges that we are located in Treaty 6 Territory and Region 4 of the Metis Nation of Alberta. We respect this as the traditional and contemporary land of diverse Indigenous Peoples including the Plains Cree, Woodland Cree, Beaver Cree, Nitsitapi/Blackfoot, Métis, Nakota Sioux, Anishinaabe/Saulteaux/Ojibwe and Dene Peoples. We also acknowledge the many Indigenous, Inuit and Métis people who make Alberta their home today.